The Trial, Or, More Links of the Daisy Chain

at leisure

d sympathize

er' was the universal bulletin, eatin

tairs, looking over his father's papers, and making arrangements. He was eager and confident, declaring that his sisters should never want a home while he lived; and, when he first en

veril had about as much again from the old aunt, from whom she had taken her peculiar name. The home of all should, of course, still be their present one; Averil would teach her sisters, and superintend the house, and Leonard continue at the school, wher

pediency of appearing less prosperous; and considering that Mr. and Mrs. Ward had themselves made the place, Dr. May thought his proposal hard-hearted. He went about impressing every one with his confidence in Henry Ward, and fought successfully at the Board of Guardians to have him considered as a continuation of his father, instead of appointing a new union doctor; and he watched with paternal solicitude that the young man's first return to his practice should be neither too

preached respectability and necessity. Dr. May did not admit the plea, unless Adams were to sit inside and drive out of window; but then he was told of the impropriety of his daughters going out to dinner in gigs, and the expense of flies. When Flora talked of propriety in that voice, the family might protest and grumble, but were always reduced to obedience; and thus Blanche's wedding had been the occasion of Ethel being

rude's return. Dr. Spencer and Mary would take care of Dr. May; and Ethel had begun to look forward to a tete-a-tete with Aubrey by the sea, which they had neither of them ever seen, when her an

ulus to get on fast enough. I declare I'll ask Henry

o was now allowed to come thus far, though both for Daisy's sake and his flock's, he had hitherto submitted to a rigorous quarantine

soon as her father was out of hearing. 'It will be a ter

will the poor boy

ctive boy thinks it due to himself to be in society,' said Ethel, 'and me from an enjoying

l, can't you e

, no: the only way to give the arrangement any shade of propriety, will be to be elderly, infuse as much vinegar as possible into my

e proper,' said Richard, rather ala

oy good, I can sacrifice a crab-I mean myself-not a crustacean. I

rrect thing? Or could not you

d hoped for. I meant to have been a girl, and now I must be a woman, that

t, I wish you would

been the safety-valve for my murmurs

mplained unless to g

more than their being acted on! All I wish is, that this scheme may die a natural death; but I should be miserable, and d

en trying to make he

huge bump when she comes home. Oh! when will our poor remnants be once

e to travel by the next Monday; and Dr. May wanted Ethel to walk with him to Bankside, and propose it there-talking it over

his spirits as his health that I wish it.

months after his mother's death; but though it thrilled her all over, she was not prepared to believe that any one, far less any Ward, could be of the sam

if it were not for Mary, I don't know what the little ones would do; and as to Henry, he is very good and patient; but it is the way to prevent

d when Leonard is well,

right; and we shall see them do very well. But this poor boy-you know he has been always living at home, while the others were away; he was very fond of his mo

arm, on Saturday afternoon walks, each looking fond and proud of the other. S

mall patches of shade round its young shrubs an

elves in the cool pretty drawing-room, rather overcrowded with furniture and decoration, fresh and tasteful, but too much of it,

re, as she looked through the window and saw in the shade of a walnut-tree, a sofa, at the foot of which sat Averil Ward in her deep mourning, her back to the window, so that only her young figure and the braids of her fair hair were to be seen; and beyond, something prostrate, covered with wrappers. The sweet notes ended, Dr. May drew a deep sigh, wipe

e him out of doo

ir and the glare of everything is too mu

st like your sin

Averil, her eyes wistfully turning to the sofa;

a boy's recovery,' said Ethel.

implied, 'but his spirits. Every new room he goes into seems t

ld date, involved in the mists of childhood. And Ethel seeing that her word

eep them in the nursery. Poor little things! I don't kno

r subject: 'Next week, I am to take Aubrey to the seaside; and we

her heavy jet watch-guard. 'You are very go

likewise was to advance, came forth in time to hear, 'O, Ave! I am

e stopped short, threw his feet off t

s they were! Ethel remembered her own weariness, some twelve or fourteen years back, of the raptures of her baby-loving sisters about those eyes; and now in the absence of the florid colouring of health, she was the more struck by the beauty of the deep liquid brown, of the blue tinge of the white, and of the lustrous light that resided in them, but far more by their power of e

of our plan?' asked

sion and distress. 'You are all very k

our patching Leonard up for next week;

e as bright as Aver

uch! but can he possibly be

eyes said

y, 'and it is a very easy journey-only fou

rnation; and Leonard leant forwa

a fine beach, and beautiful country. The Riverses found it out, and have been there every autumn; besides sending their poor little girl and her governess down when Lon

id Averil, thinking how long th

ng a Stoneborough fungus. There are places in Wales nearer by the map, but witho

uld like it, Leonard?' asked his sister

ings,' was

it was time to release the boy from his polite durance, so she rose t

sorry for you. It would go very hard with me to make Aubrey over to any one! but

or glad to go when it comes to the po

are about! You are not to worry him with discussions. If he can go, he will; if n

very

uel to that poor girl,' were

how she always puts me in a rage. I wish I knew

ss, to carry one so weak as Leonard away from home to the care of a stranger. She apprehended all manner of ill consequences; and then nursing him, and regarding his progress as her own work, had been the sedative to her grief, which would come on her 'like an armed man,' in the dreariness of his absence. Above all, she felt herself ill requited by his manifest ea

each dismal foreboding of the desponding spirit. But she had no time for them!

sofa was empty! Had Henry come home and helped him in? She hurried on to the window; Leo

Why didn't yo

he smiled cheerfully, as he helped himself by the furniture to another sofa. 'I say,

is a Bradshaw,' sai

d the candlestick, on t

s to be gulped down-and perhaps t

s the B

n't se

left-hand candlestick, close to the

revented him by hastening to a more real

ing her steady it for his shaking han

miles from there. Can

is not

al place; just in that little jag, with famous bathing. I w

as yet,' said poor Averil, her

ll at once when I

ope

first struck with her tone

oreness of her heart; 'but I can't t

imed Leonard, indignantly. 'Why, what ha

at least, never came

m sick of everything and

rushed to her own room, and wept bitterly and angrily. Sick of her af

he want of his mother's ever-ready sympathy and soothing, and as if the whole world, here, there, and everywhere, would be an equally dreary waste

low, the other that whisper of the inaudibility of which Averil could not be disabused. He lay looking for a few moments through his eyelashes, befor

the clear depths possessed by the others. His hair too was jet black, whereas theirs was a pale nut brown; and his whiskers, long and curling, so nearly met under his chin, as to betray a strong desire that the hirsute movement should extend to the medical

e words that he fir

er for every one-hims

s,

I am now, how fast I got on as soon as I took to tonics.-Ha, Leonard

am well enough; but next week is very soon,' said Leonar

with me, here, let us have your pulse. You have let him get low, Averil. A basin

iskly raising himself, as though the ch

very thing I wanted for you, though I could not see how to manage it. I am going to dress. I shall tell the

eonard, wit

uld order anything but boiled chickens for you, and forgets that other people

of poor Leonard, that I may attend to his dinn

d her authority enough to keep their spirits from growing too riotous for Leonard's weakness. Indeed, their chatter was Henry's sole enlivenment, for Averil was constantly making excursions to ask what her patient would eat, and watch its success;

onard, with an instinctive

e of her most renowned instrumental pieces, which

nard, 'I want something quiet and refreshing.

nothing of musi

it:' and he whi

e I know that. We had it

itation she had betrayed. She was a sound, good, honest-hearted girl; but among all the goo