et her work drop to watch my patient progress
and to bestow upon me a rewarding smile. Is there nearly always
sadness in it, or is the sadness in my eyes? If Georgiana's brother
is giving her trouble, I'd like to take a hand-axe to _his_ feet.
I suppose I shall never know whether he cut her foot in two. She
carries the left one a little peculiarly; but so many women do
that.

Sometimes, when the day's work is over and the servant is gone,
Georgiana comes to the window and looks away towards the sunsets
of winter, her hands clasped behind her back, her motionless figure
in relief against the darkness within, her face white and still.
Being in the shadow of my own room, so that she could not see me,
and knowing that I ought not to do it, but unable to resist, I have
softly taken up the spy-glass which I use in the study of birds,
and have drawn Georgiana's face nearer to me, holding it there
till she turns away. I have noted the traces of pain, and once
the tears which she could not keep back and was too proud to heed.
Then I have sat before my flickering embers, with I know not what
all but ungovernable yearning to be over there in the shadowy room
with her, and, whether she would or not, to fold my arms around
her, and, drawing her face against mine, whisper: "What is it
Georgiana? And why must it be?"

XIII

The fountains of the great deep opened. A new heaven, a new earth.
Georgiana has broken her engagement with her cousin. Mrs. Cobb let
it out in the strictest confidence to Mrs. Walters. Mrs. Walters,
with stricter confidence still, has told me only.

The West-Pointer had been writing for some months in regard to
the wild behavior of his cousin. This grew worse, and the crisis
came. Georgiana snapped her thread and put up her needle. He
travelled all the way down her to implore. I met him at the gate
as he left the house--a fine, straight, manly, handsome young
fellow, with his face pale with pain, and his eyes flashing with
anger--and bade him a long, affectionate, inward God-speed as he
hurried away. It was her father's influence. He had always wished
for this union. Ah, the evils that come to the living from the
wrongful wishes of the dead! Georgiana is so happy now, since she
has been forced to free herself, that spring in this part of the
United States seems to have advanced about half a month.

"What on earth will she do with all those clothes?" inquired Mrs.
Walters the other ni