‘DEAREST MAMMA,—Don’t be very much frightened when I tell you that Guy has caught the fever. He has been ailing since Sunday, and yesterday became quite ill; but we hope it will not be so severe an illness as Philip’s was. He sleeps a great deal, and is in no pain, quite sensible when he is awake. Arnaud is very useful, and so is Anne; and he is so quiet at night, that he wants no one but Arnaud, and will not let me sit up with him. Philip is better.
‘Your most affectionate,
‘A.F.M.’
The reading was followed by a dead silence, then Mr. Edmonstone said he had always known how it would be, and what would poor Amy do?
Mrs. Edmonstone was too unhappy to answer, for she could see no means of helping them. Mr. Edmonstone was of no use in a sick-room, and she had never thought it possible to leave Charles. It did not even occur to her that she could do so till Charles himself suggested that she must go to Amy.
‘Can you spare me?’ said she, as if it was a new light.
‘Why not? Who can be thought of but Amy? She ought not to be a day longer without you.’
‘Dr. Mayerne would look in on you,’ said she, considering, ‘and Laura can manage for you.’
‘Oh, I shall do very well. Do you think I could bear to keep you from her?’
‘Some one must go,’ said Mrs. Edmonstone, ‘and even if I could think of letting Laura run the risk, this unhappy affair about Philip puts her going out of the question.’
‘No one but you can go, said Charles; ‘it is of no use to talk of anything else.’