The house teemed with comfort now, compared to what it had done.  The evenings were chilly, and by Mrs. Shaw’s directions fires were lighted in every bedroom.  She petted Margaret in every possible way, and bought every delicacy, or soft luxury in which she herself would have burrowed and sought comfort.  But Margaret was indifferent to all these things; or, if they forced themselves upon her attention, it was simply as causes for gratitude to her aunt, who was putting herself so much out of her way to think of her.  She was restless, though so weak.  All the day long, she kept herself from thinking of the ceremony which was going on at Oxford, by wandering from room to room, and languidly setting aside such articles as she wished to retain.  Dixon followed her by Mrs. Shaw’s desire, ostensibly to receive instructions, but with a private injunction to soothe her into repose as soon as might be.

’These books, Dixon, I will keep.  All the rest will you send to Mr. Bell?  They are of a kind that he will value for themselves, as well as for papa’s sake.  This——­I should like you to take this to Mr. Thornton, after I am gone.  Stay; I will write a note with it.’  And she sate down hastily, as if afraid of thinking, and wrote: 

’DEAR SIR,—­The accompanying book I am sure will be valued by you for the sake of my father, to whom it belonged.

’Yours sincerely,

‘MARGARET HALE.’

She set out again upon her travels through the house, turning over articles, known to her from her childhood, with a sort of caressing reluctance to leave them—­old-fashioned, worn and shabby, as they might be.  But she hardly spoke again; and Dixon’s report to Mrs. Shaw was, that ’she doubted whether Miss Hale heard a word of what she said, though she talked the whole time, in order to divert her attention.’  The consequence of being on her feet all day was excessive bodily weariness in the evening, and a better night’s rest than she had had since she had heard of Mr. Hale’s death.

At breakfast time the next day, she expressed her wish to go and bid one or two friends good-bye.  Mrs. Shaw objected: 

’I am sure, my dear, you can have no friends here with whom you are sufficiently intimate to justify you in calling upon them so soon; before you have been at church.’

’But to-day is my only day; if Captain Lennox comes this afternoon, and if we must—­if I must really go to-morrow——­’

’Oh, yes; we shall go to-morrow.  I am more and more convinced that this air is bad for you, and makes you look so pale and ill; besides, Edith expects us; and she may be waiting me; and you cannot be left alone, my dear, at your age.  No; if you must pay these calls, I will go with you.  Dixon can get us a coach, I suppose?’

So Mrs. Shaw went to take care of Margaret, and took her maid with her to, take care of the shawls and air-cushions.  Margaret’s face was too sad to lighten up into a smile at all this preparation for paying two visits, that she had often made by herself at all hours of the day.  She was half afraid of owning that one place to which she was going was Nicholas Higgins’; all she could do was to hope her aunt would be indisposed to get out of the coach, and walk up the court, and at every breath of wind have her face slapped by wet clothes, hanging out to dry on ropes stretched from house to house.