“Indeed,” said Fanny, a little frightened at the excitement she had raised, “mamma didn’t mean anything that you wouldn’t like. She only thought—”
“We had better say nothing more about it,” said Arthur, interrupting her. “I dare say Graeme can manage her own affairs without help from other people. But there is nothing to be vexed about, Rosie. Don’t put on a face like that about it, you foolish lassie.”
“What is the matter here, good people?” said Graeme, entering at the moment. “What are you quarrelling about? What ails Rosie?”
“Oh! Mrs Grove has been giving her some good advice, which she don’t receive so meekly as she might,” said Arthur.
“That is very ungrateful of you, Rosie,” said her sister. Mrs Grove’s interference didn’t seem a sufficient matter to frown about.
“How is she now, my dear?” inquired Mrs Snow, by way of changing the subject.
She was Mrs Tilman, who had of late become subject to sudden attacks of illness, “not dangerous, but severe,” as she herself declared. They had become rather frequent, but as they generally came on at night, and were over before morning, so that they did not specially interfere with her work, they were not alarming to the rest of the household. Indeed, they seldom heard of them till they were over; for the considerate Mrs Tilman was wont to insist to Sarah, that the ladies should not be disturbed on her account. But Sarah had become a little uncomfortable, and had confessed as much to Graeme, and Graeme desired to be told the next time she was ill, and so it happened that she was not present when a subject so interesting to herself was discussed.
“Is Mrs Tilman ill again?” asked Fanny. “How annoying! She is not very ill, I hope.”
“No,” said Graeme, quietly; “she will be better to-morrow.”
That night, in the retirement of their chamber, Mr and Mrs Snow were in no haste to begin, as was their custom, the comparing of notes over the events of the day. This was usually the way when anything not very pleasant had occurred, or when anything had had been said that it was not agreeable to recall. It was Mr Snow who began the conversation.