She looked up into his face with tender anxiety; I saw the look, and
could have killed her for it.

"You know that I am devoted to your interests." she said. "I will
cheerfully and gladly do everything and anything I can," she said, "to
help you. You know you may command my services when and how you will."

She spoke with the air of a grandduchess offering to obtain court
patronage, and my father made her a low, sweeping bow.

Who was she, that she should talk to my father of "unfortunate
circumstances," and of her devotion to him? As for things going wrong,
it was not true--my mother, from her sofa, ordered the household, and I
knew there was nothing wrong.

When my father saw the angry, pained expression on my face, an idea
seemed to occur to him. He called me to his side, and whispered to me:

"You may run away and play, darling; and mind, Laura, you must never
repeat one word of what you hear to your mother; it would not do to
trouble her when little things go wrong."

"Nothing has gone wrong," I answered. "Although she is ill, mamma sees
to everything."

I should have said much more, but that my father placed his hand over my
mouth.

"Hush! little one," he said. "I am afraid I give you too much license."