place in Emily in the last three months. 'It was only the other night she
accused me of going after you, of having designs upon you. It is very
painful to have to tell you these things, but I have no choice in the
matter. She lay on her bed crying, saying that every one hated her, that
she was thoroughly miserable. Somehow she seems naturally an unhappy child.
She was unhappy at home before she came here; but then I believe she had
excellent reasons,--her mother was a very terrible person. However, all
that is past; we have to consider the present now. She accused me of having
designs on you, insisting all the while that every one was talking about
it, and that she was fretting solely because of my good name. Of course, it
is very ridiculous; but it is very pitiful, and will end badly if we don't
take means to put a stop to it. I shouldn't be surprised if she went off
her head. We ought to have the best medical advice.'

'This is very serious,' he said. And then, at the end of a long silence, he
said again, 'This is very serious--perhaps far more serious than we think.'

'Not more serious than I think. I ought to have spoken about it to you
before; but the subject is a delicate one. She hardly sleeps at all at
night; she cries sometimes for hours; she works herself up into such fits
of nervousness that she doesn't know what she is saying,--accuses me of
killing her, and then repents, declaring that I am the only one who has
ever cared for her, and begs of me not to leave her. I do assure you it is
becoming very serious.'

'Have you any proposal to make regarding her? I need hardly say that I'm
ready to carry out any idea of yours.'

'You know what the cause of it is, I suppose?'