“Perhaps so; but Elsie is not one of those, Dr. Hardcastle. If you were but to hint to your wife that you disapprove and dislike her thus exposing herself, she would stop it at once; she would think it her duty to do so.”
“I know it; and therefore I have to be more chary in meddling with her docile spirit than if she had the self-will and temper of Xantippe. But, ah! do you think it does not make my heart ache to see her expose herself to wind and snow, and to think that I have not yet provided a carriage for her, and to see her work from early morning till night, doing all the housework of the family, and think that I have not yet got a servant for her? And now having brought her to all this, shall I fetter her will? No, by my soul!” said Dr. Hardcastle, with strong emotion.
Mrs. Garnet arose and went to his side, and stood there, and drew his arm over her shoulder caressingly, as she said:
“Magnus, you have made Elsie completely, divinely happy; I mean, as a mortal woman can be! No man can do more for his wife, very few can do so much. As for her privations and toils, it is I, only I, whose weakness caused all that! It was I who disinherited her! I!”
“Hush! hush! a truce to self-criminations! Elsie is the only consistent, rational, equable one in the family, now Hugh is gone. And here she comes, the darling! and without her cloak, as I live. Come, Mrs. Garnet, we will both scold her for that. Let’s open upon her as soon as she gets in.”
He kissed Alice’s hand and hastened to meet his wife.
Here she came, cold as the weather was, actually without her cloak.
He opened the door quickly, and received her in his arms, pressing her cold hands under his chin, to his bosom, to warm them, and drawing her on toward the fire.
“Now where have you been, facing the wind, and plunging through the snowdrifts?”
“I have been on the mountain,” said Elsie, untying her bonnet, and giving it to one child, and throwing her shawl upon the arms of another. “I have been on the mountain to see those poor Millers. Their little girl, almost barefooted, came over here this afternoon for me to go to her mother, who is confined. I knew they were suffering, and so I filled the basket and went home with the little one.”