she would not consent to
lose so many hours of Charles's society, and she persisted in sitting up
to tea. She was however unable to eat, and her headache became so
violent, and was accompanied with so overpowering a sickness, that she
could hold up no longer, and was conveyed to her bed. Jane was very
uneasy, but Isabella and Hannah both thought it might be a common sick
headache, and persuaded Jane not to send for Mr Everett that night.

At bed-time she was very feverish, and passed a miserable night, and
when Jane went to her bedside at four o'clock the next morning, she was
terrified to find her slightly delirious. Of course she remained with
Isabella, and before breakfast-time she sent to request Mr Everett's
attendance, as soon as convenient. At six o'clock she gave her patient
some tea, and then Isabella spoke sensibly again; but she was restless,
and suffering much from headache.

This was sad news for Charles when he came down to breakfast; and this
last day with his sisters promised to be but a melancholy one. Mr
Everett came early, and he was most anxiously questioned about his
patient. He said that she was extremely unwell certainly; but whether
it would prove a short and sharp attack of fever, or an illness of more
serious consequence, he could not at present tell. He advised that no
one should go into her room except Jane and Hannah, till they could be
quite sure that there was no fear of infection. He desired Jane not to
think of resuming her employments at his house for a week at least, both
because it would be too painful to her to leave her sister, and because
he had rather ascertain the nature of the disorder, before he exposed
his children to the least risk of infection. This did not serve to make
poor Jane less anxious. She sat by Isabella's bedside, trying to keep
down melancholy thoughts, while Charles took Harriet and Alfred to
church. The whole of the day was spent with them, and he scarcely saw
Jane at all. In the dusk of the evening, he was sitting by the parlour
window, talking to his little brother and sister, when he saw the
postman come up to the door. The arrival of a letter was a rare
occurrence, and the first idea which entered Charles's mind was that
perhaps a further leave of absence had come to cheer him and Jane, when
certainly such a comfort would be most welcome. But his heart sunk when
he saw Mr Rathbone's hand-writing on the letter which Hannah brought
in. He rep