\"i am her daughter, sir.\"

\"but when i tell you she expressly desired that you might not be told--\"

\"i am not good or patient enough to submit to the prohibition. besides, iam sure you are too wise--too experienced to hāve promised to keep thesecret.\"

\"well,\" said he, half-smiling, though sadly enough, \"there you are right. idid not promise. in fact, i fear, the secret will be known soon enoughwithout my revealing it.\"

he paused. margaret went very white, and pressed her lips a littlemore. otherwise not a feature moved. with the quick insight intocharacter, without which no medical man can rise to the eminence ofdr. donaldson, he saw that she would exact the full truth; that shewould know if one iota was withheld; and that the withholding wouldbe torture more acute than the knowledge of it. he spoke two shortsentences in a low voice, watching her all the time; for the pupils of hereyes dilated into a black horror and the whiteness of her plexionbecame livid. he ceased speaking. he waited for that look to go off,-forher gasping breath to e. then she said:-\"

i thank you most truly, sir, for your confidence. that dread has hauntedme for many weeks. it is a true, real agony. my poor, poor mother!\" herlips began to quiver, and he let her hāve the relief of tears, sure of herpower of self-control to check them.

a few tears--those were all she shed, before she recollected the manyquestions she longed to ask.

\"will there be much suffering?\"

he shook his head. \"that we cannot tell. it depends on constitution; on athousand things. but the late discoveries of medical science hāve givenus large power of alleviation.\"

\"my father!\" said margaret, trembling all over.

\"i do not know mr. hale. i mean, it is difficult to give advice. but ishould say, bear on, with the knowledge you hāve forced me to giveyou so abruptly, till the fact which i could not with-hold has bee insome degree familiar to you, so that you may, without too great aneffort, be able to give what fort you can to your father. before then,-my visits, which, of course, i shall repeat from time to time, although ifear i can do nothing but alleviate,--a thousand little circumstances willhāve occurred to awaken his alarm, to deepen it--so that he will be allthe better prepared.--nay, my dear young lady--nay, my dear--i saw mr.

thornton, and i honour your father for the sacrifice he has made,however mistaken i may believe him to be. --well, this once, if it willplease you, my dear. only remember, when i e again, i e as afriend. and you must learn to look upon me as such, because seeingeach other--getting to know each other at such times as these, is worthyears of morning calls.\"

margaret could not speak for crying: but she wrung his hand at parting.

\"that\"s what i call a fine girl!\" thought dr. donaldson, when he wasseated in his carriage, and had time to examine his ringed hand, whichhad slightly suffered from her pressure. \"who would hāve thought thatlittle hand could hāve given such a squeeze? but the bones were wellput together, and that gives immense power. what a queen she is! withher head thrown back at first, to force me into speaking the truth; andthen bent so eagerly forward to listen. poor thing! i must see she doesnot overstrain herself. though it\"s astonishing how much those thoroughbredcreatures can do and suffer. that girl\"s game to the back-bone.

.。xt!!

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