deavouring to rise to her feet, while burning spots were in her
cheeks.

"George, turn me out of the house too! If Preston killed her, I did!"
and she gave a ghastly laugh.

George threw his arms round her, and laid her on her bed again, with
many fond words, and strength which she had not power to withstand. Dr.
May, in the meantime, spoke quickly to Meta in the doorway. "She must
go. They cannot see her again; but has she any friends in London?"

"I think not."

"Find out. She must not be sent adrift. Send her to the Grange, if
nothing better offers. You must judge."

He felt that he could confide in Meta's discretion and promptitude, and
returned to the parents.

"Is she gone?" said George, in a whisper, which he meant should be
unheard by his wife, who had sunk her face in her pillows again.

"Going. Meta is seeing to it."

"And that woman gets off free!" cried George, "while my poor little
girl--" and, no longer occupied by the hope of retribution, he gave way
to an overpowering burst of grief.

His wife did not rouse herself to comfort him, but still lay motionless,
excepting for a convulsive movement that passed over her frame at each
sound from him, and her father felt her pulse bound at the same time
with corresponding violence, as if each of his deep-drawn sobs were
a mortal thrust. Going to him, Dr. May endeavoured to repress his
agitation, and lead him from the room; but he could not, at first,
prevail on him to listen or understand, still less, to quit Flora. The
attempt to force on him the perception that his uncontrolled sorrow
was injuring her, and that he ought to bear up for her sake, only did
further harm; for, when he rose up and tried to caress her, there was
the same torpid, passive resistance, the same burying her face from the
light, and the only betrayal of consciousness in the agonised throbs of
her pulse.

He became excessively distressed at being thus repelled, and, at last,
yielded to the impatient signals of Dr. May, who drew him into the next
room, and, with brief, strong, though most affectionate and pitying
words, enforced on him that Flora's brain--nay, her life, was risked,
and that he must leave her alone to his care for the present. Meta
coming back at the same moment, Dr. May put him in her charge, with
renewed orders to impress on him how much depended on tranquillity.

Dr. May went back, with his soft, undisturbing, physician's footfall,
and stood at the side of the