lways does in a morning to see after Philip, and I have had a
conference with him and Bolton, so that I can lay the case before Dr.
Mayerne scientifically.'

'What do you think of it?'

'I think we came at the right time. He has been getting more and more
into work in London, taking no exercise, and so was pretty well knocked
up when he came here; and this place finished it. He tried to attend to
business about the property, but it always ended in his head growing
so bad, he had to leave all to Markham, who, by the way, has been
thoroughly propitiated by his anxiety for him. Then he gave up entirely;
has not been out of doors, written a note, nor seen a creature the last
fortnight, but there he has lain by himself in the library, given up to
all manner of dismal thoughts without a break.'

'How dreadful!' said Annabel, with tears in her eyes. 'Then he would not
see Mr. Ashford? Surely, he could have done something for him.'

'I'll tell you what,' said Charles, lowering his voice,' from what
Bolton says, I think he had a dread of worse than brain fever.'

She shuddered, and was paler, but did not speak.

'I believe,' continued Charles, 'that it is one half nervous and the
oppression of this place, and the other half, the over-straining of a
head that was already in a ticklish condition. I don't think there was
any real danger of more than such a fever as he had at Corfu, which
would probably have been the death of him; but I think he dreaded still
worse, and that his horror of seeing any one, or writing to Laura, arose
from not knowing how far he could control his words.'

'O! I am glad we came,' repeated Amabel, pressing her hands together.

'He has been doctoring himself,' proceeded Charles; 'and probably has
kept off the fever by strong measures, but, of course, the more he
reduced his strength, the greater advantage he gave to what was simply
low spirits. He must have had a terrible time of it, and where it would
have ended I cannot guess, but it seems to me that most likely, now that
he is once roused, he will come right again.'

Just as Charles had finished speaking, he came down, looking extremely
ill, weak, and suffering; but calmed, and resting on that entire
dependence on Amabel which had sprung up at Recoara.

She would not let him go back to his gloomy library, but made him lie
on the sofa in the sitting-room, and sat there herself, as she thought
a little quiet conversation between her and Charles