Mrs. King to secure his attendance. Her savings and Matilda's were
likely to melt away sadly in paying him, since she was just too well
off to be doctored at the parish expense, and he was really a good
and upright man, though wanting in softness of manner when he was
hurried and teased. If Mrs. King had known that he was in haste to
get to a child with a bad burn, she might have thought him less
unkind in the short ungentle way in which he dashed her hopes. Alas!
there had never been much hope; but she feared that Alfred might have
heard, and have been shocked.

Ellen heard plainly enough, and her heart sank. She tried to look at
her brother's face, but he had put it out of sight, and spoke not a
word; and she only could sit wondering what was the real drift of the
cruel words, and whether the doctor meant to give no hope of
recovery, or only to dissuade her mother from vainly trying change of
air. Her once bright brother always thus! It was a sad thought, and
yet she would have been glad to know he would be no worse; and
Ellen's heart was praying with all her might that he might have his
health and happiness restored to him, and that her mother might be
spared this bitter sorrow.

Alfred said nothing about the doctor's visit, but he could eat no
dinner, and did not think this so much the fault of his sickly taste,
as of his mother's potato-pie; he could not think why she should be
so cross as to make that thing, when she knew he hated it; and as to
poor Harold, Alfred would hardly let him speak or stir, without
ordering Ellen down to tell him not to make such a row.

Ellen was thankful when Harold was fairly hunted out of the house and
garden, even though he betook himself to the meadow, where Paul