had ended
fatally? What a fool I am to be putting questions to myself about things
that have not happened!

The walking tired me; I went straight home.

Before I could ring the bell, the house door opened, and the doctor
came out. He stopped to speak to me. While I had been away (he said),
something had happened at home (he neither knew nor wished to know what)
which had thrown my father into a state of violent agitation. The doctor
had administered composing medicine. "My patient is asleep now," he told
me; "but remember what I said to you the last time we met; a longer rest
than any doctor's prescription can give him is what he wants. You are
not looking well yourself, my dear. What is the matter?"

I told him of my wretched restless nights; and asked if I might take
some of the composing medicine which he had given to my father. He
forbade me to touch a drop of it. "What is physic for your father, you
foolish child, is not physic for a young creature like you," he said.
"Count a thousand, if you can't sleep to-night, or turn your pillow. I
wish you pleasant dreams." He went away, amused at his own humor.

I found Selina waiting to speak with me, on the subject of poor papa.

She had been startled on hearing his voice, loud in anger. In the
fear that something serious had happened, she left her room to make
inquiries, and saw Helena on the landing of the flight of stairs
beneath, leaving the study. After waiting till my sister was out of the
way, Selina ventured to present herself at the study door, and to ask
if she could be of any use. My father, walking excitedly up and down the
room, declared that both his daughters had behaved infamously, and that
he would not suffer them to speak to him again until they had come to
their senses, on the subject of Mr. Dunboyne. He would enter into no
further explanation; and he had ordered, rather than requested, Selina
to leave him. Having obeyed, she tried next to find me, and had
just looked into the dining-room to see if I was there, when she was
frightened by the sound of a fall in the room above--that is to say, in
the study. Running upstairs again, she had found him insensible on the
floor and had sent for the doctor.

"And mind this," Selina continued, "the person who has done the mischief
is the person whom I saw leaving the study. What your unnatural sister
said to provoke her father--"

"That your unnatural sister will tell you herself," Helena's voice
added.