the carcass is,
there the turkey-buzzards is gethered. That shinin' example of early
piety never plays but one game. That is, fox-and-geese. He's gone after
a green goslin' now, and he'll find him when he's fattest."

But the gentle singing-master had come back from his excursion, and was
taking a profound interest in the coming end of the world. Jonas
observed that it "seemed like as ef he hed charge of the whole
performance, and meant to shet up the sky like a blue cotton umbrell.
He's got a single eye, and it's the same ole game. Fox and geese always,
and he's the fox."

Humphreys still lived at Samuel Anderson's, still devoted himself to
pleasing Mrs. Abigail, still bowed regretfully to Julia, and spoke
caressingly to Betsey Malcolm at every opportunity.

But August was sick at the castle. He was very sick. Every morning Dr.
Dibrell, a "calomel-doctor"--not a steam-doctor--rode by the house on
his way to Andrew's, and every morning Mrs. Anderson wondered afresh who
was sick down that way. But the doctor staid so long that Mrs. Abigail
made up her mind it must be somebody four or five miles away, and so
dismissed the matter from her mind. For August's return had been
kept secret.

But Julia noticed, in her heart of hearts, and with ever-increasing
affliction, that the doctor staid longer each day than on the day
before, and she thought she noticed also an increasing anxiety on his
face as he rode home again. Her desire to know the real truth, and to
see August, to do for him, to give her life for him, were wearing her
away. It is hard to see a friend go from you when you have done
everything. But to have a friend die within your reach, while you are
yet unable to help him, is the saddest of all. All this anxiety Julia
suffered without even the blessed privilege of showing it. The pent-up
fire consumed her, and she was at times almost distract. Every morning
she managed to be on the upper porch when the doctor went by, and from
the same watch-tower she studied his face when he went back.

Then came a morning when there were two doctors. A physician from the
county-seat village went by, in company with Dr. Dibrell. So there must
be a consultation at the castle. Julia knew then that the worst had to
be looked in the face. And she longed to get away from under the
searching black eyes of her mother and utter the long-pent cry of
anguish. Another day of such unuttered pain would drive her clean mad.

That evening