"You must not excite yourself, Agnes," said Letty, gently. "That is bad for you; and you will need all your strength."
"True," said Agnes. "I have something to do yet, and I must keep what little force I have for that purpose. I seem to have drooped very much within a day or two. I suppose I miss the stimulants I have been taking. The doctor would not let me give up ale; but I could not take opium any longer. I have hated it this long time; but I could not keep up without it. Oh, Letty, after the life I have been leading, you don't know the blessed relief it is just to give up and be sick!"
"I can imagine it," said Letty; "but you must not talk any more now. Let me read to you, and perhaps you may fall asleep."
"One thing more I must say, and then I will rest," returned Agnes. "Letty, I have a great favour to beg of you and John,—a favour so great that I should not dare to ask it if you were any other than yourselves. I want you to take Madge for your own. Carry her home with you, away from here, and keep her. I hardly think her father will object: he seems to have taken a dislike to the child, though he used to be so fond of her. I think he feels her presence in the house a kind of reproach; though she never says a word of the sort, so far as I know. She loves you dearly, and will be very happy with you; and I don't think she makes a great deal of trouble, for one so helpless. Still, I know it is asking a great deal."
"John and I were talking the matter over last night," said Letty, eager to set the poor mother's mind at rest, "and we agreed, if you and Joseph were willing, we would take charge of Madge. We can give her a pleasant room on the ground-floor, opening on a veranda, where she can have plenty of fresh air and sunshine, and be more like one of the family than if she were away up-stairs. I think we can make her very happy. I am glad you do not object; for we have quite set our hearts upon having her."
"You are very good," said Agnes. "It is the greatest possible relief to my mind to think she will be safe with you. But, Letty, I dare not promise that Joseph will do any thing towards her maintenance. Things are going badly with him; and, unless I am much mistaken, there will be a grand crash before long."
"Never mind that," said Letty. "We are rich enough and to spare. John has prospered in every thing he has put his hand to. The land we bought with our house has proved a fine investment, and we have already sold building-lots enough to pay for the whole. C— is a very growing place, and whole streets seem to spring up in a night, like mushrooms. I am almost afraid the place will become too valuable for us to keep. So do not let any such consideration trouble you, but think of the matter as settled, so far as we are concerned. Now let me read you to sleep."
The days passed on, and Agnes continued to grow weaker and to suffer more and more as the disease advanced. She talked very little, but lay quietly, sometimes reading a few words or listening to Letty's repetitions of hymns and passages of Scripture.
Nothing was heard of Joseph, though both John and the doctor telegraphed again and again to the address he had given in New York. Agnes seemed very anxious to see him, at the same time that she dreaded his coming home. She watched daily; and a ring at the door, or any unusual noise in the house, produced a degree of agitation as distressing as it was dangerous.
Madge had been brought home, at her mother's request, and spent many hours of every day lying on her mother's bed or sitting in a great chair by her side. She had improved so far as to be able to sit up a good part of the time.