ew, if he were apprised of the real state of the
case, that Rupert would have been sent for; and every reparation it was in
his power to make would have been insisted on, as an act of justice; a
hopeless and distressing attempt to restore the confidence of unbounded
love, and the esteem which, once lost, is gone forever. Perhaps the
keenest of all Grace's sufferings proceeded from the consciousness of the
total want of merit in the man she had so effectually enshrined in her
heart, that he could only be ejected by breaking in pieces and utterly
destroying the tenement that had so long contained him. With ordinary
notions, this change of opinion might have sufficed for the purposes of an
effectual cure; but my poor sister was differently constituted. She had
ever been different from most of her sex, in intensity of feeling; and had
come near dying, while still a child, on the occasion of the direful
catastrophe of my father's loss; and the decease of even our mother,
though long expected, had come near to extinguish the flame of life in the
daughter. As I have already said more than once, a being so sensitive and
so pure, ever seemed better fitted for the regions of bliss, than for the
collisions and sorrows of the world.

Now we were at Clawbonny again, I scarce knew how to employ myself. Grace
I could not see; Lucy, who took the entire management of the invalid,
requiring for her rest and quiet. In this she did but follow the
directions of reason, as well as those left by Post; and I was fain to
yield, knowing that my sister could not possibly have a more judicious or
a more tender nurse.

The different persons belonging to the mill and the farm came to me for
directions, which I was compelled to give with thoughts engrossed with the
state of my sister. More than once I endeavoured to arouse myself; and,
for a few minutes, _seemed_ to enter, if I did not truly enter, with
interest into the affairs presented to my consideration; but these little
rallies were merely so many attempts at self-delusion, and I finally
referred everything to the respective persons entrusted with the different
branches of the duty bidding them act as they had been accustomed to do
in my absence.

"Why, yes, Masser Mile," answered the old negro who was the head man in
the field, "dis berry well, if he can do it. Remember I alway hab Masser
Hardinge to talk to me about 'e crop, and sich t'ing, and dat a won'erful
help to a poor nigger when he