It was a comfort to Margaret about this time, to find that her mother drew more tenderly and intimately towards her than she had ever done since the days of her childhood.  She took her to her heart as a confidential friend—­the post Margaret had always longed to fill, and had envied Dixon for being preferred to.  Margaret took pains to respond to every call made upon her for sympathy—­and they were many—­even when they bore relation to trifles, which she would no more have noticed or regarded herself than the elephant would perceive the little pin at his feet, which yet he lifts carefully up at the bidding of his keeper.  All unconsciously Margaret drew near to a reward.

One evening, Mr. Hale being absent, her mother began to talk to her about her brother Frederick, the very subject on which Margaret had longed to ask questions, and almost the only one on which her timidity overcame her natural openness.  The more she wanted to hear about him, the less likely she was to speak.

’Oh, Margaret, it was so windy last night!  It came howling down the chimney in our room!  I could not sleep.  I never can when there is such a terrible wind.  I got into a wakeful habit when poor Frederick was at sea; and now, even if I don’t waken all at once, I dream of him in some stormy sea, with great, clear, glass-green walls of waves on either side his ship, but far higher than her very masts, curling over her with that cruel, terrible white foam, like some gigantic crested serpent.  It is an old dream, but it always comes back on windy nights, till I am thankful to waken, sitting straight and stiff up in bed with my terror.  Poor Frederick!  He is on land now, so wind can do him no harm.  Though I did think it might shake down some of those tall chimneys.’

’Where is Frederick now, mamma?  Our letters are directed to the care of Messrs. Barbour, at Cadiz, I know; but where is he himself?’

’I can’t remember the name of the place, but he is not called Hale; you must remember that, Margaret.  Notice the F. D. in every corner of the letters.  He has taken the name of Dickenson.  I wanted him to have been called Beresford, to which he had a kind of right, but your father thought he had better not.  He might be recognised, you know, if he were called by my name.’

‘Mamma,’ said Margaret, ’I was at Aunt Shaw’s when it all happened; and I suppose I was not old enough to be told plainly about it.  But I should like to know now, if I may—­if it does not give you too much pain to speak about it.’

‘Pain!  No,’ replied Mrs. Hale, her cheek flushing.  ’Yet it is pain to think that perhaps I may never see my darling boy again.  Or else he did right, Margaret.  They may say what they like, but I have his own letters to show, and I’ll believe him, though he is my son, sooner than any court-martial on earth.  Go to my little japan cabinet, dear, and in the second left-hand drawer you will find a packet of letters.’