and　care；　in　her　beautiful　look；　and　there　was　such　a　fervent
  appeal　to　me　to　deal　tenderly　by　him；　even　in　my　inmost　thoughts；
  and　to　let　no　harsh　construction　find　any　place　against　him；　she
  was；　at　once；　so　proud　of　him　and　devoted　to　him；　yet　so
  compassionate　and　sorry；　and　so　reliant　upon　me　to　be　so；　too；　that
  nothing　she　could　have　said　would　have　expressed　more　to　me；　or
  moved　me　more。
  We　were　to　drink　tea　at　the　Doctor’s。　We　went　there　at　the　usual
  hour；　and　round　the　study　fireside　found　the　Doctor；　and　his
  young　wife；　and　her　mother。　The　Doctor；　who　made　as　much　of　my
  going　away　as　if　I　were　going　to　China；　received　me　as　an
  honoured　guest；　and　called　for　a　log　of　wood　to　be　thrown　on　the
  fire；　that　he　might　see　the　face　of　his　old　pupil　reddening　in　the
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  blaze。
  ‘I　shall　not　see　many　more　new　faces　in　Trotwood’s　stead；
  Wickfield；’　said　the　Doctor；　warming　his　hands；　‘I　am　getting　lazy；
  and　want　ease。　I　shall　relinquish　all　my　young　people　in　another
  six　months；　and　lead　a　quieter　life。’
  ‘You　have　said　so；　any　time　these　ten　years；　Doctor；’　Mr。
  Wickfield　answered。
  ‘But　now　I　mean　to　do　it；’　returned　the　Doctor。　‘My　first　master
  will　succeed　me—I　am　in　earnest　at　last—so　you’ll　soon　have　to
  arrange　our　contracts；　and　to　bind　us　firmly　to　them；　like　a　couple
  of　knaves。’
  ‘And　to　take　care；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield；　‘that　you’re　not　imposed
  on；　eh？　As　you　certainly　would　be；　in　any　contract　you　should
  make　for　yourself。　Well！　I　am　ready。　There　are　worse　tasks　than
  that；　in　my　calling。’
  ‘I　shall　have　nothing　to　think　of　then；’　said　the　Doctor；　with　a
  smile；　‘but　my　Dictionary；　and　this　other　contract…bargain—
  Annie。’
  As　Mr。　Wickfield　glanced　towards　her；　sitting　at　the　tea　table　by
  Agnes；　she　seemed　to　me　to　avoid　his　look　with　such　unwonted
  hesitation　and　timidity；　that　his　attention　became　fixed　upon　her；
  as　if　something　were　suggested　to　his　thoughts。
  ‘There　is　a　post　come　in　from　India；　I　observe；’　he　said；　after　a
  short　silence。
  ‘By　the　by！　and　letters　from　Mr。　Jack　Maldon！’　said　the　Doctor。
  ‘Indeed！’
  ‘Poor　dear　Jack！’　said　Mrs。　Markleham；　shaking　her　head。　‘That
  trying　climate！—like　living；　they　tell　me；　on　a　sand…heap；
  underneath　a　burning…glass！　He　looked　strong；　but　he　wasn’t。　My
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  dear　Doctor；　it　was　his　spirit；　not　his　constitution；　that　he　ventured
  on　so　boldly。　Annie；　my　dear；　I　am　sure　you　must　perfectly
  recollect　that　your　cousin　never　was　strong—not　what　can　be
  called　robust；　you　know；’　said　Mrs。　Markleham；　with　emphasis；　and
  looking　round　upon　us　generally；　‘—from　the　time　when　my
  daughter　and　himself　were　children　together；　and　walking　about；
  arm…in…arm；　the　livelong　day。’
  Annie；　thus　addressed；　made　no　reply。
  ‘Do　I　gather　from　what　you　say；　ma’am；　that　Mr。　Maldon　is　ill？’
  asked　Mr。　Wickfield。
  ‘Ill！’　replied　the　Old　Soldier。　‘My　dear　sir；　he’s　all　sorts　of
  things。’
  ‘Except　well？’　said　Mr。　Wickfield。
  ‘Except　well；　indeed！’　said　the　Old　Soldier。　‘He　has　had　dreadful
  strokes　of　the　sun；　no　doubt；　and　jungle　fevers　and　agues；　and
  every　kind　of　thing　you　can　mention。　As　to　his　liver；’　said　the　Old
  Soldier　resignedly；　‘that；　of　course；　he　gave　up　altogether；　when　he
  first　went　out！’
  ‘Does　he　say　all　this？’　asked　Mr。　Wickfield。
  ‘Say？　My　dear　sir；’　returned　Mrs。　Markleham；　shaking　her　head
  and　her　fan；　‘you　little　know　my　poor　Jack　Maldon　when　you　ask
  that　question。　Say？　Not　he。　You　might　drag　him　at　the　heels　of
  four　wild　horses　first。’
  ‘Mama！’　said　Mrs。　Strong。
  ‘Annie；　my　dear；’　returned　her　mother；　‘once　for　all；　I　must
  really　beg　that　you　will　not　interfere　with　me；　unless　it　is　to
  confirm　what　I　say。　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　your　cousin
  Maldon　would　be　dragged　at　the　heels　of　any　number　of　wild
  horses—why　should　I　confine　myself　to　four！　I　won’t　confine
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  myself　to　four—eight；　sixteen；　two…and…thirty；　rather　than　say
  anything　calculated　to　overturn　the　Doctor’s　plans。’
  ‘Wickfield’s　plans；’　said　the　Doctor；　stroking　his　face；　and
  looking　penitently　at　his　adviser。　‘That　is　to　say；　our　joint　plans　for
  him。　I　said　myself；　abroad　or　at　home。’
  ‘And　I　said’　added　Mr。　Wickfield　gravely；　‘abroad。　I　was　the
  means　of　sending　him　abroad。　It’s　my　responsibility。’
  ‘Oh！　Responsibility！’　said　the　Old　Soldier。　‘Everything　was　done
  for　the　best；　my　dear　Mr。　Wickfield；　everything　was　done　for　the
  kindest　and　best；　we　know。　But　if　the　dear　fellow　can’t　live　there；
  he　can’t　live　there。　And　if　he　can’t　live　there；　he’ll　die　there；　sooner
  than　he’ll　overturn　the　Doctor’s　plans。　I　know　him；’　said　the　Old
  Soldier；　fanning　herself；　in　a　sort　of　calm　prophetic　agony；　‘and　I
  know　he’ll　die　there；　sooner　than　he’ll　overturn　the　Doctor’s　plans。’
  ‘Well；　well；　ma’am；’　said　the　Doctor　cheerfully；　‘I　am　not　bigoted
  to　my　plans；　and　I　can　overturn　them　myself。　I　can　substitute　some
  other　plans。　If　Mr。　Jack　Maldon　comes　home　on　account　of　ill
  health；　he　must　not　be　allowed　to　go　back；　and　we　must　endeavour
  to　make　some　more　suitable　and　fortunate　provision　for　him　in
  this　country。’
  Mrs。　Markleham　was　so　overcome　by　this　generous　speech—
  which；　I　need　not　say；　she　had　not　at　all　expected　or　led　up　to—
  that　she　could　only　tell　the　Doctor　it　was　like　himself；　and　go
  several　times　through　that　operation　of　kissing　the　sticks　of　her
  fan；　and　then　tapping　his　hand　with　it。　After　which　she　gently　chid
  her　daughter　Annie；　for　not　being　more　demonstrative　when　such
  kindnesses　were　showered；　for　her　sake；　on　her　old　playfellow；　and
  entertained　us　with　some　particulars　concerning　other　deserving
  members　of　her　family；　whom　it　was　desirable　to　set　on　their
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  deserving　legs。
  All　this　time；　her　daughter　Annie　never　once　spoke；　or　lifted　up
  her　eyes。　All　this　time；　Mr。　Wickfield　had　his　glance　upon　her　as
  she　sat　by　his　own　daughter’s　side。　It　appeared　to　me　that　he　never
  thought　of　being　observed　by　anyone；　but　was　so　intent　upon　her；
  and　upon　his　own　thoughts　in　connexion　with　her；　as　to　be　quite
  absorbed。　He　now　asked　what　Mr。　Jack　Maldon　had　actually
  written　in　reference　to　himself；　and　to　whom　he　had　written？
  ‘Why；　here；’　said　Mrs。　Markleham；　taking　a　letter　from　the
  chimney…piece　above　the　Doctor’s　head；　‘the　dear　fellow　says　to
  the　Doctor　himself—where　is　it？　Oh！—“I　am　sorry　to　inform　you
  that　my　health　is　suffering　severely；　and　that　I　fear　I　may　be
  reduced　to　the　necessity　of　returning　home　for　a　time；　as　the　only
  hope　of　restoration。”　That’s　pretty　plain；　poor　fellow！　His　only
  hope　of　restoration！　But　Annie’s　letter　is　plainer　still。　Annie；　show
  me　that　letter　again。’
  ‘Not　now；　mama；’　she　pleaded　in　a　low　tone。
  ‘My　dear；　you　absolutely　are；　on　some　subjects；　one　of　the　most
  ridiculous　persons　in　the　world；’　returned　her　mother；　‘and
  perhaps　the　most　unnatural　to　the　claims　of　your　own　family。　We
  never　should　have　heard　of　the　letter　at　all；　I　believe；　unless　I　had
  asked　for　it　myself。　Do　you　call　that　confidence；　my　love；　towards
  Doctor　Strong？　I　am　surprised。　You　ought　to　know　better。’
  The　letter　was　reluctantly　produced；　and　as　I　handed　it　to　the
  old　lady；　I　saw　how　the　unwilling　hand　from　which　I　took　it；
  trembled。
  ‘Now　let　us　see；’　said　Mrs。　Markleham；　putting　her　glass　to　her
  eye；　‘where　the　passage　is。　“The　remembrance　of　old　times；　my
  dearest　Annie”—and　so　forth—it’s　not　there。　“The　amiable　old
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  Proctor”—who’s　he？　Dear　me；　Annie；　how　illegibly　your　cousin
  Maldon　writes；　and　how　stupid　I　am！　“Doctor；”　of　course。　Ah！
  amiable　indeed！’　Here　she　left　off；　to　kiss　her　fan　again；　and　shake
  it　at　the　Doctor；　who　was　looking　at　us　in　a　state　of　placid
  satisfaction。　‘Now　I　have　found　it。　“You　may　not　be　surprised　to
  hear；　Annie；”—no；　to　be　sure；　knowing　that　he　never　was　really
  strong；　what　did　I　say　just　now？—“that　I　have　undergone　so　much
  in　this　distant　place；　as　to　have　decided　to　leave　it　at　all　hazards；
  on　sick　leave；　if　I　can；　on　total　resignation；　if　that　is　not　to　be
  obtained。　What　I　have　endured；　and　do　endure　here；　is
  insupportable。”　And　but　for　the　promptitude　of　that　best　of
  creatures；’　said　Mrs。　Markleham；　telegraphing　the　Doctor　as
  before；　and　refolding　the　letter；　‘it　would　be　insupportable　to　me　to
  think　of。’
  Mr。　Wickfield　said　not　one　word；　though　the　old　lady　looked　to
  him　as　if　for　his　commentary　on　this　intelligence；　but　sat　severely
  silent；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　ground。　Long　after　the　subject
  was　dismissed；　and　other　topics　occupied　us；　he　remained　so；
  seldom　raising　his　eyes；　unless　to　rest　them　for　a　moment；　with　a
  thoughtful　frown；　upon　the　Doctor；　or　his　wife；　or　both。
  The　Doctor　was　very　fond　of　music。　Agnes　sang　wit