‘It is only Mr. Hamilton,’ I returned indifferently.  ’I heard him come in half an hour ago; he is giving Nathaniel a lesson in mathematics.’

‘To be sure.  What a good fellow he is!’ in an enthusiastic tone.  ’Well, good-night, child:  do not sit up late.’  And he vanished.

I am afraid I disregarded this injunction, for I wanted to write to my poor Jill—­who was never absent from my mind—­and Lesbia; and I was loath to leave the fireside, and too much excited for sleep.

When I had finished my letters I still sat on gazing into the bright caverns of coal, and thinking over Susan Locke’s history.

‘How many good people there are in the world!’ I said, half aloud; but I almost jumped out of my chair at the sound of a deep, angry voice on the other side of the door.

’It is a thriftless, wasteful sort of thing burning the candle at both ends.  Women have very little common sense, after all.’

I extinguished the lamp hastily, for of course Mr. Hamilton’s growl was meant for me, though it was addressed to Nathaniel.  I heard him close the door a moment afterwards, and Nathaniel crept back into the kitchen.  I woke rather tired the next day, and owned he was right, for I found my duties somewhat irksome that morning.  The feeling did not pass off, and I actually discovered that I was dreading my visit to Phoebe, only of course I scouted it as nonsense.

Miss Locke was out, and Kitty opened the door.  Her demure little face brightened when she saw me, and especially when I placed a large brown-paper parcel in her arms, of that oblong shape dear to all doll-loving children, and bade her take it into the kitchen.

‘It is too dark and cold for you to play outside, Kitty,’ I observed, ’so perhaps you will make the acquaintance of the blue-eyed baby I have brought you; when Aunt Susan comes in, you can ask her for some pieces to dress her in, for her paper robe is rather cold.’

Kitty’s eyes grew wide with surprise and delight as she ran off with her treasure; the baby-doll would be a playmate for the lonely child, and solace those weary hours in the sick-room.  I would rather have brought her a kitten, but I felt instinctively that no animal would be tolerated by the invalid.

It was somewhat dark when I entered the room, but one glance showed me that my directions had been obeyed; the window was unshaded, and the flowers were in their place.

Phoebe was lying watching the fire.  I saw at once that she was in a better mood.  The few questions I put to her were answered quietly and to the point, and there was no excitement or exaggeration in her manner.

I did not talk much.  After a minute or two I sat down by the uncurtained window and began to sing as usual.  I commenced with a simple ballad, but very soon my songs merged into hymns.  It began to be a pleasure to me to sing in that room.  I had a strange feeling as though my voice were keeping the evil spirits away.  I thought of the shepherd-boy who played before Saul and refreshed the king’s tormented mind; and now and then an unuttered prayer would rise to my lips that in this way I might be able to comfort the sad soul that truly Satan had bound.