curls aside with his hand, and said, looking around:

‘Poor Annie! She’s so faithful and tender-hearted! It’s the parting from her old playfellow and friend — her favourite cousin — that has done this.

Ah! It’s a pity! I am very sorry!’

When she opened her eyes, and saw where she was, and that we were all standing about her, she arose with assistance: turning her head, as she did so, to lay it on the Doctor’s shoulder — or to hide it, I don’t know which. We went into the drawing-room, to leave her with the Doctor and her mother; but she said, it seemed, that she was better than she had been since morning, and that she would rather be brought among us; so they brought her in,