“I will not speak so again,—­at least before I think and know.  You have forgiven me.  Now appoint me my penance.”

“Do what more you can for Nelly, then.  I can do little or nothing.  In fact, my visits seem to embarrass and agitate her so much, that I am sometimes afraid they hurt her more than they help her.  She suffers more in mind than body, I suspect.  How, she will not tell me, and perhaps she cannot.  It may be that she is sick from sorrow; or, on the other hand, her sorrow may be only an illusion of her sickness.  It is all, from first to last, a mere miserable groping and working in the dark.  In the mean time her constitution and character are forming for life.  It is enough to make one’s heart ache to look at the poor baby, and think what an unsatisfactory, profitless, miserable life that may be.  I need not remind you, Katy, that all this is a little piece of Freemasonry between ourselves.  You are one of the exceptional and abnormal human people before whom one can safely think aloud.”

I went to Nelly that very afternoon, with some curiosity and with no unwillingness.  I had already begun to like her better than the Doctor did, as I began to know her better.  At first I had been somewhat at a loss as to her real disposition, between the constant civility of her manners, and the occasional sullenness of her manner.  I was fast making up my mind that the civility was genuine; the sullenness, apparent only, the result of extreme shyness, despondency, and languor.  As fast as she became more and more at her ease with me, just so fast did she become more and more engaging.  She was chaotic enough, and like a different creature on different days; but I found her, though sometimes very childish, often sweet and never sour, unvaryingly patient towards her very trying aunt, and only too subservient to her.

On this particular afternoon, I spied her through the best-parlor window, sobbing dismally.  When she heard and saw me, she tried to compose herself in vain; but the only account she had to give of her grief was, that “the mocking-bird sang so dreadfully, and the Doctor told Aunt Cumberland she [Nelly] was not going to die.  There,” added she, under her breath, “I didn’t mean to say that!”

We had no chance to say more; for Mrs. Cumberland came in from her shopping, and inquired for some cap-ruffles, which she had given Nelly to make up for her.  “She said she didn’t feel well enough to go down town with me,” said Mrs. Cumberland; “an’ so I left her them to hem, ‘cause the Doctor says she needs cheerful occupation; an’ them are just the pootiest kind o’ work for young ladies, an’ ruther tryin’ to old eyes.”

This was unanswerable; and as I was obliged myself to go to some shops, and Nelly could not, with her swollen lids, I bade Mrs. Cumberland good by; but told her niece that I meant to call for her soon again, for the Doctor thought it would do both of us good to take a walk every day.  She looked somewhat encouraged by this; and I hoped that the plan would have the twofold effect of making her think it would be ungracious to refuse to accompany me a second time, and of keeping her from crying lest she should again be caught at it.