But they do though. Answer, many a widow's son; many a heedful
brother of orphan sisters; many a solitary clerk living and paying
his way upon the merest pittance; is it not better to think of others
than one's self? Can a man, even a young man, find his highest
happiness in mere personal enjoyment?

However, let me cease throwing these pebbles of preaching under the
wheels of my story; as it moves on it will preach enough for itself.

Elizabeth's annoyances, suspicions, and conscience-pricks as to
whether she ought or ought not to communicate both, came to an end at
last. Gradually she made up her mind that, even if it did look like
tale bearing, on the following Saturday night Miss Hilary must know
all.

It was an anxious week; for Miss Leaf had fallen ill. Not seriously;
and she never complained until her sister had left, when she returned
to her bed and did not again rise. She would not have Miss Hilary
sent for, nor Miss Selina, who was away paying a ceremonious
prenuptial visit to Mr. Ascott's partner's wife at Dulwich.

"I don't want any thing that you can not do for me. You are becoming
a first rate nurse. Elizabeth," she said, with that passive, peaceful
smile which almost frightened the girl; it seemed as if she were
slipping away from this world and all its cares into another
existence. Elizabeth felt that to tell her any thing about her
nephew's affairs was perfectly impossible. How thankful she was that
in the quiet of the sick-room her mistress was kept in ignorance of
the knocks and inquiries at the door, and especially of a certain