'There is no news yet.'

'Do you know how she is? When did you hear of her?'

'About a week ago; when she wrote to inquire for you.'

'She did? What did she say of herself?'

'Nothing particular, poor little thing; I believe she is always on the
sofa. My aunt would like nothing so well as making a great fuss about
her.'

'Have you any objection to show me her letter?' said Philip, unable to
bear hearing Amabel thus spoken of, yet desirous to learn all he could
respecting her.

'I have not preserved it,' was the answer. 'My correspondence is so
extensive that there would be no limit to the accumulation if I did not
destroy the trivial letters.'

There was a sudden flush on Philip's pale face that caused his sister to
pause in her measured, self-satisfied speech, and ask if he was in pain.

'No,' he replied, shortly, and Margaret pondered on his strange manner,
little guessing what profanation her mention of Amabel's letter had
seemed to him, or how it jarred on him to hear this exaggerated likeness
of his own self-complacent speeches.

She was much shocked and grieved to see him so much more unwell than she
had expected. He was unfit for anything but to go to bed on his arrival.
Dr. Henley said the system had received a severe shock, and it would be
long before the effects would be shaken off; but that there was no fear
but his health would be completely restored if he would give himself
entire rest.

There was no danger that Margaret would not lavish care enough on her
brother. She waited on him in his room all the next day, bringing him
everything he could want, and trying to make him come down-stairs, for
she thought sitting alone there very bad for his spirits; but he said
he had a letter to write, and very curious she was to know why he was
so long doing it, and why he did not tell her to whom it was addressed.
However, she saw when it was put into the post-bag, that it was for Lady
Morville.

At last, too late to see any of the visitors who had called to inquire,
when the evening had long closed in, she had the satisfaction of seeing
Philip enter the drawing-room, and settling him in the most comfortable
of her easy-chairs on one side of the fire to wait till the Doctor
returned for dinner. The whole apartment was most luxurious, spacious,
and richly furnished; the fire, in its brilliant steel setting, glancing
on all around, and illuminating her own stately presence, and rich glace
silk, as she sat