It seemed strange that Anna should be struck by one so gay, so totally the opposite of herself, as Madame Mesnil; but it was evident, from their first meeting, that she was more awake to what was said, more attentive to what was done by this lady, than by any body else; and this circumstance gave Mary a gleam of hope of her sister’s restoration to mental health. On her part, Madame Mesnil, though she admired and approved Mary to a high degree, attached herself more to Anna; whether through compassion, or genuine sympathy, or by dint of imagining qualities which did not exist, Mary sought not to know, so delighted was she with the fact. She contrived, as often as possible, to send Anna alone to M. Mesnil’s; encouraged her to accept invitations to dine tête-à-tête with Madame, when her husband was out; and, in short, to throw them together as much as possible. The self-complacency caused in Anna’s mind by these circumstances, proved an impulse for a time. It was but a short-lived impulse; but it inspired her sister with hope, and herself with a pleasure long lost.
“Where is Anna?” was the enquiry one day, when it was time she should be urged to dress for her visit to Madame Mesnil.
“She is gone,” said Mrs. Fletcher: “dressed and gone half an hour ago; and the volume of Boileau with her that I see you are looking for. She has finished it.”
“And look at her drawing,” said Selina: “it promises well; does it not?”
“Beautiful!” exclaimed Mary. “O, I wonder when papa will come back!”
“Make no observations to him, Mary: let him discover it for himself!”
“Certainly,” replied Mary; “I will anticipate nothing. But I long to see the hope breaking in upon him.”
There was no need to explain what the “it” and the “hope” meant. There was a perfect understanding in the family, and the great anxiety of one was the great anxiety of all.
Mary flew to meet her sister when she came home, for once, not afraid of startling her by sudden intelligence. Before she could speak, however, Anna cried out, “A letter from papa? O, say yes!”
“Yes,” said Mary, joyfully, drawing her sister’s arm within her own. “He will be home to-morrow; so you must tell us to-night every thing about your visit.”