“This disaster to Caroline and Mr. Anthony has frightened me,” she sighed.
“It has strengthened me,” he said—“given me courage. Here are gently nurtured people, used to the luxuries of life, whose womenfolk wear the bonnet of fashion without a strut, for they have never known any other; here they are, living all hugger-mugger in a “spacious upper floor” where even I, from the ranks, would be everlastingly seeing only the faults—yet never so much as a whimper from them. They are as cheery as though they had come into the family estates. Until the boy went sick, Baddlesmere was never more amusing——”
She sighed:
“Ah, yes—they laugh to keep the tears away,” she said.
“But, my Julia, you would not have them live their life in one long-drawn-out fear lest the world be full of fears!”
“But—how do you know your next book will be a success, Netherby?”
“I don’t know, dear. I once knew a man who was so afraid of getting a chill that he wore goloshes after sunset—he died of heat-apoplexy.”
The boy Noll yawned:
“I say, Netherby,” he grumbled from the bed peevishly: “come here, you and Julia, and sit on the bed—I can’t hear a word you say—it’s so beastly dull seeing you billing and cooing there and missing all the letterpress.”
Netherby chuckled hugely; and they both got up, he chuckling, and she blushing, and came to the boy’s bedside. Noll was looking very sickly: