\"my heart revolts within me, and two voicesmake themselves audible within my bosom.\"

wallenstein.

on margaret\"s return home she found two letters on the table: one was anote for her mother,--the other, which had e by the post, wasevidently from her aunt shaw--covered with foreign post-marks--thin,silvery, and rustling. she took up the other, and was examining it, whenher father came in suddenly:

\"so your mother is tired, and gone to bed early! i\"m afraid, such athundery day was not the best in the world for the doctor to see her.

what did he say? dixon tells me he spoke to you about her.\"

margaret hesitated. her father\"s looks became more grāve and anxious:

\"he does not think her seriously ill?\"

\"not at present; she needs care, he says; he was very kind, and said hewould call again, and see how his medicines worked.\"

\"only care--he did not remend change of air?--he did not say thissmoky town was doing her any harm, did he, margaret?\"

\"no! not a word,\" she replied, grāvely. \"he was anxious, i think.\"

\"doctors hāve that anxious manner; it\"s professional,\" said he.

margaret saw, in her father\"s nervous ways, that the first impression ofpossible danger was made upon his mind, in spite of all his making light

of what she told him. he could not forget the subject,--could not passfrom it to other things; he kept recurring to it through the evening, withan unwillingness to receive even the slightest unfāvourable idea, whichmade margaret inexpressibly sad.

\"this letter is from aunt shaw, papa. she has got to naples, and finds ittoo hot, so she has taken apartments at sorrento. but i don\"t think shelikes italy.\"

\"he did not say anything about diet, did he?\"

\"it was to be nourishing, and digestible. mamma\"s appetite is prettygood, i think.\"

\"yes! and that makes it all the more strange he should hāve thought ofspeaking about diet.\"

\"i asked him, papa.\" another pause. then margaret went on: \"aunt shawsays, she has sent me some coral ornaments, papa; but,\" added margaret,half smiling, \"she\"s afraid the milton dissenters won\"t appreciate them.

she has got all her ideas of dissenters from the quakers, has not she?\"

\"if ever you hear or notice that your mother wishes for anything, be sureyou let me know. i am so afraid she does not tell me always what shewould like. pray, see after that girl mrs. thornton named. if we had agood, efficient house-servant, dixon could be constantly with her, andi\"d answer for it we\"d soon set her up amongst us, if care will do it. she\"sbeen very much tired of late, with the hot weather, and the difficulty ofgetting a servant. a little rest will put her quite to rights--eh, margaret?\"

\"i hope so,\" said margaret,--but so sadly, that her father took notice of it.

he pinched her cheek.