Margaret turned short round upon her sister-in-law on the stairs.
"Sarah," said she, and then she stopped herself. "Never mind; it is natural, no doubt, you should feel it; but there are times and places when one's feelings should be kept under control."
"That's mighty fine," said Mrs Mackenzie; "but, however, if you'll wait here, I'll go up to him."
In a few minutes more Miss Mackenzie was standing by her brother's bedside, holding his hand in hers.
"I knew you would come, Margaret," he said.
"Of course I should come; who doubted it? But never mind that, for here I am."
"I only told her that we expected her by the earlier train," said Mrs Tom.
"Never mind the train as long as she's here," said Tom. "You've heard how it is with me, Margaret?"
Then Margaret buried her face in the bed-clothes and wept, and Mrs Tom, weeping also, hid herself behind the curtains.
There was nothing said then about money or the troubles of the business, and after a while the two women went down to tea. In the dining-room they found Mr Rubb, who seemed to be quite at home in the house. Cold meat was brought up for Margaret's dinner, and they all sat down to one of those sad sick-house meals which he or she who has not known must have been lucky indeed. To Margaret it was nothing new. All the life that she remembered, except the last year, had been spent in nursing her other brother; and now to be employed about the bed-side of a sufferer was as natural to her as the air she breathed.