‘Yes, it must be. Better for all, and Henry is glad it should be so. He is out on the sofa to-day, but he is terribly cut up.’
‘And Leonard?’
‘I see some improvement—Burdon does not—but I think with Heaven’s good mercy we may drag him through; the pulse is rather better. Now I must go. You’ll not wait dinner for me.’
Mary spent the next hour in amusing the children by the fabrication of the dolls’ wardrobe, and had made them exceedingly fond of her, so that there was a very poor welcome when their own Mary at length appeared, much shocked at the duration of her own slumbers, and greatly obliged to Miss May. The little girls would scarcely let Mary go, though she pacified them by an assurance that she or her sister would come in the evening.
‘Don’t let it be your sister. You come, and finish our dolls’ frocks!’ and they hung about her, kissing her, and trying to extract a promise.
After sharing the burthen of depression, it was strange to return home to so different a tone of spirits when she found Aubrey installed in Ethel’s room as his parlour, very white and weak, but overflowing with languid fun. There was grief and sympathy for the poor Wards, and anxious inquiries for Leonard; but it was not sorrow brought visibly before him, and after the decorous space of commiseration, the smiles were bright again, and Mary heard how her father had popped in to boast of his daughter being ‘as good as a house-maid, or as Miss What’s-her-name;’ and her foray in the kitchen was more diverting to Aubrey than she was as yet prepared to understand. ‘Running away with the buttered toast from under the nose of a charwoman! let Harry never talk of taking a Chinese battery after that!’ her incapacity of perceiving that the deed was either valiant or ludicrous, entertaining him particularly. ‘It had evidently hit the medium between the sublime and ridiculous.’
When evening came, Mary thought it Ethel’s privilege to go, as the most efficient friend and comforter; but Ethel saw that her sister’s soul was with the Wards, and insisted that she should go on as she had begun.
‘O, Ethel, that was only with the little ones. Now you would be of use to poor Averil.’
‘And why should not you? and of more use?’
‘You know I am only good for small children; but if you tell me—’
‘You provoking girl,’ said Ethel. ‘All I tell you is, that you are twenty-three years old, and I won’t tell you anything, nor assist your unwholesome desire to be second fiddle.’
‘I don’t know what you mean, Ethel; of course you always tell me what to do, and how to do it.’
Ethel quite laughed now, but gave up the contest, only saying, as she fondly smoothed back a little refractory lock on Mary’s smooth open brow, ‘Very well then, go and do whatever comes to hand at Bankside, my dear. I do really want to stay at home, both on Aubrey’s account, and because papa says Dr. Spencer is done up, and that I must catch him and keep him quiet this evening.’
Mary was satisfied in her obedience, and set off with her father. Just as they reached Bankside, a gig drove up containing the fattest old man she had ever beheld; her father whispered that it was old Mr. Axworthy, and sent her at once to the nursery, where she was welcomed with a little shriek of delight, each child bounding in her small arm-chair, and pulling her down between them on the floor for convenience of double hugging, after which she was required to go on with the doll-dressing.
Mary could not bear to do this while the knell was vibrating on her ear, and the two coffins being borne across the threshold; so she gathered the orphans within her embrace as she sat on the floor, and endeavoured to find out how much they understood of what was passing, and whether they had any of the right thoughts. It was rather disappointing. The little sisters had evidently been well and religiously taught, but they were too childish to dwell on thoughts of awe or grief, and the small minds were chiefly fixed upon the dolls, as the one bright spot in the dreary day. Mary yielded, and worked and answered their chatter till twilight came on, and the rival Mary came up to put them to bed, an operation in which she gave her assistance, almost questioning if she were not forgotten, but she learnt that her father was still in the house, the nurse believed looking at papers in Mr. Henry’s room with the other gentlemen.
‘And you will sit by us while we go to sleep. Oh! don’t go away!’
The nurse was thankful to her for so doing, and a somewhat graver mood had come over Minna as she laid her head on her pillow, for she asked the difficult question, ‘Can mamma see us now?’ which Mary could only answer with a tender ‘Perhaps,’ and an attempt to direct the child to the thought of the Heavenly Father; and then Minna asked, ‘Who will take care of us now?’
‘Oh, will you?’ cried Ella, sitting up; and both little maids, holding out their arms, made a proffer of themselves to be her little children. They would be so good if she would let them be—
Mary could only fondle and smile it off, and put them in mind that they belonged to their brother and sister; but the answer was, ‘Ave is not so nice as you. Oh, do let us—’
‘But I can’t, my dears. I am Dr. May’s child, you know. What could I say to him?’
‘Oh! but Dr. May wouldn’t mind! I know he wouldn’t mind! Mamma says there was never any one so fond of little children, and he is such a dear good old gentleman.’
Mary had not recognized him as an old gentleman at fifty-eight, and did not like it at all. She argued on the impracticability of taking them from their natural protectors, and again tried to lead them upwards, finally betaking herself to the repetition of hymns, which put them to sleep. She had spent some time in sitting between them in the summer darkness, when there was a low tap, and opening the door, she saw her father. Indicating that they slept, she followed him out, and a whispered conference took place as he stood below her on the stairs, their heads on a level.
‘Tired, Mary? I have only just got rid of old Axworthy.’
‘The nurse said you were busy with papers in Henry’s room.’
‘Ay—the Will. Henry behaves very well; and is full of right feeling, poor fellow!’
‘What becomes of those dear little girls? They want to make themselves a present to me, and say they know you would like it.’
‘So I should, the darlings! Well, as things are left, it all goes to Henry, except the L10,000 Ward had insured his life for, which divides between the five. He undertakes, most properly, to make them a home—whether in this house or not is another thing; he and Averil will look after them; and he made a most right answer when Mr. Axworthy offered to take Leonard into his office,’ proceeded the communicative Doctor, unable to help pouring himself out, in
