they might not go, and when Blanche would have asked why, Tom pressed
her hand and shuddered.

Etheldred was allowed to come and look at Margaret, and even to sit
in the room for a little while, to take the place of Miss Winter; but
she was not sensible of sufficient usefulness to relieve the burden
of fear and bewilderment in the presence of that still, pale form;
and, what was almost worse, the sight of the familiar objects, the
chair by the fire, the sofa, the books, the work-basket, the letter-
case, the dressing things, all these were too oppressive. She sat
crouched up, with her face hidden in her hands, and the instant she
was released, hastened back to Norman. She was to tell him that he
might go into the room, but he did not move, and Mary alone went in
and out with messages.

Dr. May was not to be visited, for he was in the same half-conscious
state, apparently sensible only of bodily suffering, though he
answered when addressed, and no one was trusted to speak to him but
Flora and Ernescliffe.

The rest wore through the day as best they might. Harry slept a good
deal, Ethel read to herself, and tried to get Norman to look at
passages which she liked, Mary kept the little ones from being
troublesome, and at last took them to peep behind the school-room
blinds for Richard's coming.

There was a simultaneous shout when, at four o'clock, they caught
sight of him, and though, at Ethel's exclamation of wonder, Mary and
Tom hung their heads at having forgotten themselves, the association
of gladness in seeing Richard was refreshing; the sense of being