\"my dearest child! has that letter vexed or troubled you?\"

\"no!\" said margaret feebly. \"i shall be better when to-morrow is over.\"

\"i feel sure, darling, you won\"t be better till i get you out of this horridair. how you can hāve borne it this two years i can\"t imagine.\"

\"where could i go to? i could not leāve papa and mamma.\"

\"well! don\"t distress yourself, my dear. i dare say it was all for the best,only i had no conception of how you were living. our butler\"s wife livesin a better house than this.\"

\"it is sometimes very pretty--in summer; you can\"t judge by what it isnow. i hāve been very happy here,\" and margaret closed her eyes byway of stopping the conversation.

the house teemed with fort now, pared to what it had done.

the evenings were chilly, and by mrs. shaw\"s directions fires werelighted in every bedroom. she petted margaret in every possible way,and bought every delicacy, or soft luxury in which she herself wouldhāve burrowed and sought fort. but margaret was indifferent to allthese things; or, if they forced themselves upon her attention, it wassimply as causes for gratitude to her aunt, who was putting herself somuch out of her way to think of her. she was restless, though so weak.

all the day long, she kept herself from thinking of the ceremony whichwas going on at oxford, by wandering from room to room, andlanguidly setting aside such articles as she wished to retain. dixonfollowed her by mrs. shaw\"s desire, ostensibly to receive instructions,but with a private injunction to soothe her into repose as soon as mightbe.

..＃txt＄！小＠说＆

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