would be the best
thing for him. She wrote to Laura, and he sent a message, for he could
not yet attempt to write; and Charles wrote reports to his mother and
Dr. Mayerne; a little talk now and then going on about family matters.

Amabel asked Philip if he knew that Mr. Thorndale was at Kilcoran.

'Yes,' he said, 'he believed there was a letter from him, but his eyes
had ached too much of late to read.'

Mrs. Ashford sent in to ask whether Lady Morville would like to see her.
Amabel's face flushed, and she proposed going to her in the library; but
Philip, disliking Amy's absence more than the sight of a visitor, begged
she might come to the sitting-room.

The Ashfords had been surprised beyond measure at the tidings that
Lady Morville had actually come to Redclyffe, and had been very slow
to believe it; but when convinced by Markham's own testimony, Mrs.
Ashford's first idea had been to go and see if she could be any help to
the poor young thing in that great desolate house, whither Mrs. Ashford
had not been since, just a year ago, Markham had conducted her to admire
his preparations. There was much anxiety, too, about Mr. Morville, of
whose condition, Markham had been making a great mystery, and on her
return, Mr. Ashford was very eager for her report.

Mr. Morville, she said, did look and seem very far from well, but Lady
Morville had told her they hoped it was chiefly from over fatigue, and
that rest would soon restore him. Lady Morville herself was a fragile
delicate creature, very sweet looking, but so gentle and shrinking,
apparently, that it gave the impression of her having no character at
all, not what Mrs. Ashford would have expected Sir Guy to choose. She
had spoken very little, and the chief of the conversation had been
sustained by her brother.

'I was very much taken with that young Mr. Edmonstone,' said Mrs.
Ashford; 'he is about three-and-twenty, sadly crippled, but with such a
pleasing, animated face, and so extremely agreeable and sensible, I
do not wonder at Sir Guy's enthusiastic way of talking of him. I
could almost fancy it was admiration of the brother transferred to the
sister.'

'Then after all you are disappointed in her, and don't lament, like
Markham, that she is not mistress here?'

'No: I won't say I am disappointed; she is a very sweet creature. O yes,
very! but far too soft and helpless for such a charge as this property,
unless she had her father or brother to help her. But I mu