merely looked at me and turned on his heel. Allan never wasted words
on these occasions; if people would not do their duty he washed his
hands of them. I could not bear him to be disappointed in me, or
think me cowardly and selfish, so I went sorrowfully up to Miss
Ruth's room, and found Uncle Geoffrey coming in search of me.

"Oh, there you are, Esther," he said, in his most business-like
tone, taking it for granted, as a matter of course, that I was going
to stay. "I want you to help Miss Lucas to get comfortably to bed;
she is in great pain, and cannot speak to you just yet; but you must
try to assist her as well as you can. When the medicine comes, I will
take a final look at her, and give you your orders." And then he
nodded to me and went downstairs. There was no help for it; I must do
my little best, and say nothing about it.

Strange to say, I had never been in Miss Ruth's room before. I knew
where it was situated, and that its windows looked out on the garden,
but I had no idea what sort of a place it was.

It was not large, but so prettily fitted up, and bore the stamp of
refined taste, in every minute detail. I always think a room shows
the character of its owner; one can judge in an instant, by looking
round and noticing the little ornaments and small treasured
possessions.

I once questioned Carrie rather curiously about Mrs. Smedley's room,
and she answered, reluctantly, that it was a large, bare-looking
apartment, with an ugly paper, and full of medicine chests and
work-baskets; nothing very comfortable or tasteful in its arrangements.
I knew it; I could have told her so without seeing it.