and said she longed for something to eat. The
good-natured Clementina jumped with joy at this sign of returning
appetite, and asked her what she would like and how she would like it.
Henrietta thereupon directed her to have prepared a soup of such a
complicated character (only the morbid imagination of an invalid could
have conceived such a monstrosity), that Clementina felt obliged to
descend to the kitchen herself to superintend its concoction herself,
for it was certain that any servant would have forgotten half the
ingredients before she could get down stairs.

Scarcely had Clementina shut the door behind her when Henrietta
interrupted Margari's elocution.

"For Heaven's sake, come nearer to me," she said, "I want to speak to
you."

The worthy man was so frightened by this unexpected summons that he had
half a mind to rush out and call for assistance. He fancied that the
young lady had become delirious--it was such an odd thing to ask him to
draw nearer. But the sick girl, pressing together her trembling hands,
looked at him so piteously that he could hesitate no longer but
approached her bedside.

Henrietta did not scruple to seize the hand of the embarrassed
gentleman.

"For God's sake, help me, my good Margari," she whispered. "I am plagued
by an anxiety which prevents me from closing my eyes. Even here when I
sleep it follows me into my dreams. You can free me from it. In you
alone have I confidence. You suffer in this house as much as I do. You
have no cause to torment or persecute me. Will you do what I ask you, my
dear, good Margari?"

It occurred to Margari that the young lady was wandering in her mind, so
to humour her, he promised to do whatever she asked him without
hesitation.

"I will be very good to you, I will never forget all my life long the
kindness you are about to do me."

"Your humble servant, Miss! but you have always been good to me. As far
as I can remember, while the others took a delight in vexing me, you
were the only one who always took my part. I don't forget that either.
Command me! I will go through fire and water for you."

"Look, then!" said the girl, drawing from her bosom a little key
attached to a black cord, "this is the key of my toilet casket. Open it
and you will find a bundle of documents tied together with a blue
ribbon, take them. All through my illness I trembled at the thought that
they might ransack my things and find them, and when I came to myself I
was wo