"But it might have been much worse," said Miriam, gently.
"Much worse," he echoed.
I could not imagine what they were talking of.
"I am almost well again, Cornelius," I said.
"I am glad of it," he replied, cheerfully; then turning to Miriam, he again entreated her to go.
"With you," was her brief reply.
He complied: as they went out together, I heard him chiding her for her imprudent kindness. She did not answer, but smiled silently as the door closed upon them.
On learning the visit Cornelius had paid me, Kate was very angry. To our mutual relief he did not suffer from it, and even repeated it in a few days, in order to take me down to the parlour, where I had begged hard to take tea with him and Kate. As he lifted me up in the heavy shawl which wrapped me, Cornelius sighed.
"My poor little Daisy," he said, "how light, how very light you are getting!"
"Oh! but," I replied, a little nettled, "I am to improve so much, you know—at least Miss Russell said so—you remember?"