out as he’s hungry, and falls to eating as natural as a kitten takes to mewing. That’s the reason, miss, as I gave you a nudge and a wink, which no one knows better nor me was not manners.”

Osborne’s name was never mentioned during these cheerless meals. The Squire asked Molly questions about Hollingford people, but did not seem much to attend to her answers. He used also to ask her every day how she thought that his wife was; but if Molly told the truth—that every day seemed to make her weaker and weaker—he was almost savage with the girl. He could not bear it; and he would not. Nay, once he was on the point of dismissing Mr. Gibson, because he insisted on a consultation with Dr. Nicholls, the great physician of the county.

“It’s nonsense thinking her so ill as that—you know it’s only the delicacy she’s had for years; and, if you can’t do her any good in such a simple case—no pain—only weakness and nervousness—it is a simple case, eh?—don’t look in that puzzled way, man!—you’d better give her up altogether, and I’ll take her to Bath or Brighton, or somewhere for change; for in my opinion it’s only moping and nervousness.”

But the Squire’s bluff, florid face was pinched with anxiety, and worn with the effort of being deaf to the footsteps of fate, as he said these words which belied his fears.

Mr. Gibson replied very quietly—

“I shall go on coming to see her, and I know you’ll not forbid my visits. But I shall bring Dr. Nicholls with me the next time I come. I may be mistaken in my treatment; and I wish to God he may say I am mistaken in my apprehensions.”

“Don’t tell me them! I cannot bear them!” cried the Squire. “Of course we must all die; and she must too. But the cleverest doctor in England shan’t go about coolly meting out the life of such as her. I daresay I shall die first. I hope I shall. But I’ll knock any one down who speaks to me of death sitting within me. And, besides, I think all doctors are ignorant quacks, pretending to knowledge they haven’t got. Ay, you may smile at me. I don’t care. Unless you can tell me I shall die first, neither you nor Dr. Nicholls shall come prophesying and croaking about this house.”

Mr. Gibson went away, heavy at heart from the thought of Mrs. Hamley’s approaching death, but thinking little enough of the Squire’s speeches. He had almost forgotten them, in fact, when about nine o’clock that evening, a groom rode in from Hamley Hall in hot haste, with a note from the Squire.

“Dear Gibson,—For God’s sake forgive me if I was rude to-day. She is much worse. Come and spend the night here. Write for Nicholls, and all the physicians you want. Write before you start off. They may give her ease. There were Whitworth doctors much talked of in my youth for curing people given up by the regular doctors; can’t you get one of them? I put myself in your hands. Sometimes I think it is the turning point, and she’ll rally after this bout. I trust all to you.—Yours ever,

“R. Hamley.

“P.S.—Molly is a treasure.—God help me!”

Of course Mr. Gibson went; for the first time since his marriage cutting short Mrs. Gibson’s querulous lamentations over her life, as involved in that of a doctor called out at all hours of day and night.

He brought Mrs. Hamley through this attack; and for a day or two the Squire’s alarm and gratitude made him docile in Mr. Gibson’s hands. Then he returned to the idea of its being a crisis through which his wife had passed; and that she was now on the way to recovery. But the day after the consultation with Dr. Nicholls, Mr. Gibson said to Molly—

“Molly! I’ve written to Osborne and Roger. Do you know Osborne’s address?”

“No, papa. He’s in disgrace. I don’t know if the Squire knows; and she has been too ill to write.”