t will be a long business, I am afraid," said Richard. "Indeed, he
said the other day, he thought he should never have the free use of the
elbow."

"And do you think it is very painful? I saw the other day, when Aubrey
was sitting on his knee and fidgeting, he shrank whenever he even came
towards it, and yet it seemed as if he could not bear to put him down."

"Yes it is excessively tender, and sometimes gets very bad at night."

"Ah," said Ethel; "there's a line--here--round his eyes, that there
never used to be, and when it deepens, I am sure he is in pain, or has
been kept awake."

"You are very odd, Ethel; how do you see things in people's faces, when
you miss so much at just the same distance?"

"I look after what I care about," said Ethel. "One sees more with one's
mind than one's eyes. The best sight is inside."

"But do you always see the truth?" said Richard gravely.

"Quite enough. What is less common than the ordinary world?" said Ethel.

Richard shook his head, not quite satisfied, but not sure enough that he
entered into her meaning to question it.

"I wonder you don't wear spectacles," was the result of his meditation,
and it made her laugh by being so inapposite to her own reflections: but
the laugh ended in a melancholy look. "Dear mamma did not like me to use
them," she said, in a low voice.

Thus they talked till they arrived at Cocksmoor, where poor Mrs. Taylor,
inspirited by better reports of her husband and the hopes for her
daughter, was like another woman. Richard was very careful not to raise
false expectations, saying it all depended on Miss May and nurse, and
what they thought of her strength and steadiness, but these cautions
did not seem capable of damping the hopes of the smooth-haired Lucy,
who stood smiling and curtseying. The twins were grown and improved, and
Ethel supposed they would be brought to church on the next christening
Sunday, but their mother looked helpless and hopeless about getting
them so far, and how was she to get gossips? Ethel began to grow very
indignant, but she was always shy of finding fault with poor people
to their faces when she would not have done so to persons in her own
station, and so she was silent, while Richard hoped they would be able
to manage, and said it would be better not to wait another month for
still worse weather and shorter days.

As they were coming out of the house, a big, rough-looking, uncivilised
boy came up before them, and ca