oughing
again! Six months of the doctor--a six months' bill to come out of my
pocket--and no good done--no good, Mrs. S."

"Oh, I am much better, thank you--it was only a little--"

"Well, Sir, the evening after you left me, I had what you may call
an explanation with my dear girl. She was naturally a little confused
and--and embarrassed, indeed. A very serious thing of course, to decide
at her age, and at so short a notice, on a point involving the happiness
of her whole life to come."

Here Mrs. Sherwin put her handkerchief to her eyes--quite noiselessly;
for she had doubtless acquired by long practice the habit of weeping in
silence. Her husband's quick glance turned on her, however, immediately,
with anything but an expression of sympathy.

"Good God, Mrs. S.! what's the use of going on in that way?" he said,
indignantly. "What is there to cry about? Margaret isn't ill, and isn't
unhappy--what on earth's the matter now? Upon my soul this is a most
annoying circumstance: and before a visitor too! You had better leave me
to discuss the matter alone--you always _were_ in the way of business,
and it's my opinion you always will be."

Mrs. Sherwin prepared, without a word of remonstrance, to leave the
room. I sincerely felt for her; but could say nothing. In the impulse
of the moment, I rose to open the door for her; and immediately repented
having done so. The action added so much to her embarrassment that she
kicked her foot against a chair, and uttered a suppressed exclamation of
pain as she went out.

Mr. Sherwin helped himself to a second glass of wine, without taking the
smallest notice of this.

"I hope Mrs. Sherwin has not hurt herself?" I said. "Oh dear no! not
worth a moment's thought--awkwardness and nervousness, nothing else--she
always was nervous--the doctors (all humbugs) can do nothing with
her--it's very sad, very sad indeed; but there's no help for it."

By this time (in spite of all my efforts to preserve some respect
for him, as Margaret's father) he had sunk to his proper place in my
estimation.

"Well, my dear Sir," he resumed, "to go back to where I was interrupted
by Mrs. S. Let me see: I was saying that my dear girl was a little
confused, and so forth. As a matter of course, I put before her all the
advantages which such a connection as yours promised--and at the same
time, mentioned some of the little embarrassing circumstances--the
private marriage, you know, and all that--besides te