for years had had his leisure broken In upon by 
the din of a large, unruly family, and the maun¬ 
dering complainings of their mother, such an in¬ 
terval of calm was unutterably delightful. 
lie could not refrain from making a grimace 
when Mrs, Estcourt, having learned that he was 
considerably better, announced her intention of 
paying him a visit. But when he heard liillian 
whisper the query to Mrs. brown; would it be 
prudent to admit a visitor whose presence had 
such an unfavorable effect on their patient? he 
swallowed his reluctance, and answered the ques¬ 
tion himself. 
“ Pray, let Mrs. Estcourt come, If she will. She 
was my father's wife, and I must, not tall in cour¬ 
tesy towards her; but at the same time," ho added, 
faintly smiling, “ If you can hint, to her that I 
haven’t my nerves Under control yet, and can 
neither talk nor listen long, 1 shall he grateful." 
Warned, therefore, that she would not. be per¬ 
mitted to remain for more t han a quarter of an 
houq, Mrs. Estcourt came to the bedside of her 
step-son, and contrived in the first live minutes to 
raise his blood to fever heat, and tiring back the. 
acute 1 pains In his head, which were amongst lus 
worst symptoms. 
“ foully, Noel, you loolc wo iso instead of better 
than when T last saw you ! I don’t believe that 
you are properly attended to ; and ir It, wasn’t for 
rny own health being in such a weak state, 1 would 
insist upon taking charge of you myself. It’s just 
as 1 predicted. The young woman Gray knows 
nothing about nursing the sick; and it’s my private 
opinion that Mrs. r.rown drinks." 
“ 1 am reeling considerably easier,” Noel told her. 
“All! but that’s not always a good sign,” was 
the cheering reply. “ Em often worse myself af¬ 
ter my spirits have been unusually good ; and Dr. 
Monson says that your leg was so b ully shattered, 
that it will he weeks and weeks before you are 
able to stand on It. 1 should not be at all sur¬ 
prised If he has to amputate It, alter all.” 
Noel shuddered, and put up liis hand to beg her 
to forbear. 
“ Pray don’t discuss my condition ; I am not 
strong enough yet to contemplate the loss of a 
limb with composure, nave you heard from Irene 
lately ?” 
Mrs. Eslcourt's reply was a startling one. 
“ Don’t speak of her! 1 leartless, unnatural girl! 
Knowing, too, how 1 ant situated! 'With you ly¬ 
ing here helpless, the entire charge of a great 
house like, this rest lug upon me—for, as I told that 
Impertinent Mrs. Martin yesterday, as long as 
poor dear Miss Carisforde is away from home, l 
shall consider it my bounden duty to look after 
things for her-” 
“ Never mind that just now,” said Noel, winc¬ 
ing at the idea of his step-mother’s uncalled-for 
interference in the airairs of a stranger; “ hut do 
tell me about Irene. Wlml, has she been doing 7” 
M rs. Estcourt applied her handkerchief to her 
eyes. 
Doing.' Her best to lay mo on a sick bed! My 
anxieties arc really too much for me! I'm sure 
your rashness, which was really inexcusable, as 
there are all those poor children looking to you—” 
“ Irene!” groaned Noel, impatiently. “ Tell me 
of her! We ought to have foreseen that she was 
too young, too inexperienced to be loft alone. 
Why keep me in suspense ? What has she done S” 
“ Why, nothing as yet. Hbw absurd It is of you 
to agitate me so! If you only would have had pa¬ 
tience to listen to me, l should never ha ve mid you 
the substance of her letter; or you can read It 
yourself, It you like. I have it here—at least, 1 
think so.” 
After making a long search in her pockets, and 
nearly driving Noel wild by hunting about various 
parts of the room—Which, by-the-hy, she had 
never approached—Mrs. Estcourt decided that the 
missing epistle must be on the mantel-piece In her 
own apartment, whither, at her step-son’s urgent 
entreaty, she went to seek it . When'found, it 
proved to contain a mutinous protest that Irene 
would not endure the annoyances of her position 
any longer. 
“I'msure I’ve done my best,”she went on to 
say ; “ but with no money — for what you lert 
wasn’t halt enough—and no servant—for Ann has 
heard of abetter place and left us—and the chil¬ 
dren hungry as well as tiresome, I 'm as mad as the 
March have and the halter together, f would not. 
have put, up with It as long as 1 have done only for 
Noel. Dow is he y Von said so much In your let¬ 
ter about your own fright, that you did not leave 
yourself room tor more than about two lines about 
him, and those were so blotted that we can't make 
out whether hollas broken Ids neck or his leg. And 
so, mamma, tills Is to let you know that I can’t and 
won’t be lert. here any longer, and have quite— 
quite-om'ir made up my mind to run away. 1 have 
packed a bag to carry with me, and I shall take 
out of your dressing-ease the bracelet you a re. al¬ 
ways promising to give me whenever you want 
me to do any thing lor you very particular ; and f 
mean to sell it and live on t he proceeds as long as 
they last; so if you are uot at home within twenty- 
four hours you'll line! tbo children locked up In ihe 
kitchen—It's l he safest place I can think or—and 
the key at. the baker's: and this Is the lu m resolve 
of your affectionate but exasperated daughter, 
grateful, when a light foot crossed the floor, and 
he learned from the half-whispered conversation 
that followed, Mrs. Estcourt was being relieved 
from the dut ies she assumed with such reluctance, 
and performed so badly. 
“ He has been talking rather more sensibly,” he 
heard her aver; “ but ids mind must be still wan¬ 
dering, for he speaks of nothing but himself, and 
dropped off to sleep before 1 had been able to say 
half-a-dozen words to him ” 
With which somewhat exaggerated assertion 
she complacently sailed away. 
had a screen put betwixt my bed and the door, 
and always filled my ears with cotton-wool when 
you were at the worst, I could not keep out the 
sound of your voice. 1 don’t suppose I shall ever 
recover the shock it has given me.” And she cast 
up her eyes with the air of a martyr. *' I asked 
Dr. Monson if the port wine he prescribed for me 
could not be supplemented with, something more 
soothing. 1 am sure he could have sent me some 
sedative drops, it he had liked; but he does not 
strike me as being very clover; and an attentive 
man be Is not, for he will scarcely stop to hear one 
describe one’s symptoms.” 
will Is good, hut your strength would soon fail If 
you undertook such a task single-handed. We 
should not be justified in permitting it; and Mrs. 
Hurst's deafness renders her of very little use; 
white that mot her—step-mother, did you say 7—of 
the poor, young fellow. who has done nothing but 
shriek ever since avc came, Is more likely to do him 
harm than good.” 
“And so Miss carisforde Is absent 7” the other 
medical man observed. “ That Is unfortunate. 
However, I suppose Mrs. Hurst or you are empow¬ 
ered to act for her 7” 
“I believe,” ansAvered liillian, promptly—“or, 
to speak more correctly, 1 am sure—that Miss Car- 
lstorde would be very angry if ber absence from 
home Induced any one to neglect' her kinsman. 
Perhaps, Dr, Monsou, you will mention this to the 
household, and let It be understood mat as long as 
Lord Carisforde Is here, he is to be t reated In every 
respect as ir the place were ids otvn.” 
“ as It. Avid be, it he lives, I dare say," Avhispered 
Dr. Monson to his colleague, but quite loud enough 
lobe overboard. ‘‘He AA’ould be a very foolish 
youth if he rejected such an estate solely because 
the bride. AVhomust be taken with it, is not tiie 
most comely of maidens. I think Ave may safely 
leave our patient in .your charge, Miss Gray, while 
avc go and take a tittle refreshment,” 
Then Noel, In the stupor with which he was 
■wrestling, heard their steps tile away, and liillian 
sob uncontrollably, exclaiming, as she did so: 
“What cruel, cruel things they say ! Oh! mis¬ 
erable Ada c arislorde. bad you but perished in 
your infancy, these things Avould never have 
been I” 
He tried to address her—t o entreat her not t.o 
make herself unhappy on her friend’s account; 
hut his compassion for liillian Gray Avas svvallOAved 
up in the struggle to endure the pains that racked 
him. lie Avas fearfully bruised, and after these 
few minutes of consciousness he remembered noth¬ 
ing more for several days, alternating between 
delirium aud the deep yet feverish sltunber of 
exhaustion. 
The first time he awoke with cool skin, temper¬ 
ate pulse, aud comparative freedom from pain, the 
sun was shilling in at his open Avindotv. t lie church 
bells were ringing merrily for a village Avedding, 
ana he kneAV that the pleasant, sounds had been 
mingling Avilh his dreams for some time, lie lay 
listening to them still, until by slow degrees his 
brain grew clearer, and he was able to recall all 
CHAPTER XI. 
KIRST HOURS Of CON'VACKSCENCK. 
Noel Avas not only fatigued by his chat with 
Mrs. Estcourt, but depressed as well. The mere 
sound of her voice—that fretful Voice which had 
so often irritated him beyond endurance—brought 
back all the harassing duties which devolved upon 
him, as the main support of Ills step-mother and 
her young family, lie never fell her Intolerable 
selfishness more keenly than ho was now doing, 
lor he had never before been so weak and excita¬ 
ble, so utterly unable to shake oil the nervous 
irritation she contrived to produce; and he lay 
thinking over her revelations concerning the In¬ 
capable Irene, and the turbulent little flock she 
was left to manage as Dost she could, till liis vexa¬ 
tion vouted Itself in a heavy sigh, 
“You are suffering,” was murmured in low, 
compassionate accents. “May 1 bailie your tem¬ 
ples, or arrange your pillows more comfortably?” 
It was liillian Gray who spoke, and his heavy 
eyes undo,soil to gaze upon the kindly face Of his 
young nurse. 
“ I have heard from Mrs. Estcourt, how good you 
have been to me,” he murmured; “some other 
time, u I live, t must thank you for it; Just now—” 
lie had not strength to say more; but his looks 
were so eloquent, that she. colored with mingled 
pleasure and pain. 
“ Did you not save my life ?’’ she answered: “ and 
though there arc few, very few, to whom it is pre¬ 
cious, i am more grateful to you than 1 call ex¬ 
press. nut you are feverish; something has dis¬ 
tressed jon. May 1 task what II, is?” 
“1 should like to see Mr. Wbltely,” said Nod, 
speaking with extreme dililculty, tor he was too 
Aveak to bear more. *' I must make my Avill, and 
secure to iuy step-mother and her children the 
little 1 hav e to leave.” 
“ cannot you trust their future lo Miss * taris- 
forde?” asked liillian, hesitatingly. “They are 
her relatives as well as yours, and believe me, 
she Is neither selfish nor ungenerous.” 
Rut, as nc persisted in his request, she promised 
that it should be attended to; and, soothed by this 
assurance, he slept again till evening. 
But he did not awaken as refreshed by his slum¬ 
bers as those who watched over him had been an¬ 
ticipating; and tlie doctors In attendance ques¬ 
tioned Mrs. Estcourt, and lectured her so sharply 
for permitting Mm to talk and be excited, that, 
in high dudgeon, she absented herself from Ills 
chamber for the next two or three days. 
It was fortunate that she did so, as It gave Noel 
time to gain .strength for the next infilctioD. Those 
days Avere such calm, soothing ones that he often 
looked back to them Avilh regret long after his 
“ How much trouble I must have given!” ejacu¬ 
lated Noel, who might be pardoned for thinking 
more of lhs own condition just then than his step¬ 
mother’s faucicd aliments. 
“ You have Indeed !” she replied. “ My anxiety 
has been almost Intolerable. I’m not looking hull 
ax well as when we came. I can see the alteration 
mysell. My dresses begin to fit me quite loosely.” 
Passing over t his piece of information, the inva¬ 
lid continued liis queries. 
“Have you had any news of Miss carisforde? 
Have any efforts been made to discover where she 
has gone 7” 
“Not yet, 1 t-old Mr. Wbltely T dure say she 
Avould rather he brought back by you than any¬ 
one else; so lie agreed with nm that we had better 
take no steps in the matter till you were Avell 
again.” 
“Nonsense!” cried Noel, abruptly. “lot, the 
guardians selected by her father be apprised of 
her departure; they are the proper persons to be 
consulted, Tell Mr. Wbltely to write to them at 
once.” 
“ Ah! but one of them died a few days before 
the late. Viscount, and the other is in the West 
Indies; so you see there la no alternative hut to 
wait til 1 you are Avell enough to look after the young 
lady yourself.” 
Noel did not feel equal to the subject; so he lay 
silent while Mrs. Estcourt refreshed herself Avith 
some biscuits and a cup of jelly. But his thoughts 
were busy, aud presently they prompted the In¬ 
quiry: 
“ Did I not hear you say that Miss Gray lias been 
nursing me 7” 
“ Partly. We have had a teamed nurse here as 
well; bull do not like ber; she is too consequen¬ 
tial. Once or twice when I have wanted a few 
little services rendered to myself, she has not 
scrupled to tell me that she was here to attend to 
you only, and could not undertake the charge of 
two patients. Miss Gray Is the more obliging of 
the two, and she Is not as attentive as she 
might he.” 
“ she is very kind,” said Noel, remembering her 
tears and piteous entreaties to the surgeons to 
alleviate Ids sufferings. 
“Well. I don’t know,” Mrs. Estcourt retorted. 
“ TheSe people are paid for Avhat they do. I've no 
doubt that this young person has an excellent sal¬ 
ary, and her duties must be merely nominal, it’s 
almost a lolly for .Miss Carisforde to keep her. es¬ 
pecially as Irene might come and stay with her; 
for the present, at all events,” a reservation her 
Step-son did not notice at the time, alljiougli it. re¬ 
curred to his memory afterwards. That Avould 
bo a nice arrangement for both of them—don’t you 
think so?” 
“ hoav much longer shall I have to be here ?” 
asked Noel, Instead of replying to such a difficult 
question. 
“How can I tell? It. will depend In a great 
measure, I suppose, on the doctors. Now they 
that had happened: Miss Carisforde’s secret flight., 
the storm, the partial destruction of the tower, 
the rescue of liillian Gray, and hts own narrotv 
escape from Instant destruction, when the block or 
stone fell upon the ladder. 
An attempt to raise himself in bed taught, him 
that lie Avas not only as Aveak as a eld Id. but 
SAvathed In bandages, and lus head so curiously 
dizzy as soon as it Avas lifted from the pillows, that 
he Avas glad to close his eyes, a nil restune Ids for¬ 
mer position. He Avas trying to lose the sense of 
his helplessness in sleep, when some one stirred 
and coughed, and pulling aside his curtain, he 
found that Airs. Estcourt was dozing in a comfort¬ 
able arm-clialr beside him. 
She started up when he spoke, and laid her hand 
on a hell that was at her elbow: but by a gesture, 
he arrested the movement. 
“ Don’t ring. I ant not In Avant of anything. 
How long have l lain hero?” 
“ You are sure you arc not light-headed?” asked 
his step-mot her. dubiously. “ Because 1 told them 
Avhen they asked if t had any objection to take the 
nurse’s place for an hour or two white she rested— 
although I must, say that as Miss Gray takes turns 
with her, there could be no occasion for it— that 
my nerves Avould not. let me remain In the room it 
you raved.” 
“ I’ll uot rave, ir I can help It,” said Noel, with 
a smile that reassured her. “ Have I been de¬ 
lirious ?” 
“ Dreadfully so,” responded Mrs. Estcourt. “ No 
rest to be had night nor day; and though I have 
health returned. Too weak to raise himself Avith- 
out, help, he lay hour after hour— seldom suffering 
much pain, hut unequal to the slightest exertion— 
sometimes dozing, sometimes dreamily watching 
III Ulan Gray, uh she moved AVtth light roof niton t 
his chamber—careful that It should always be 
fresh and gay with flowers. The nurse Avas stolid 
and sllont: Avlilio Mrs. Murat. Avho Avas eager to 
be of service, Avas only admit ted to Ule sick cham¬ 
ber on condition that, she did not open her lips 
us long as t-hc tvas in It, an arrangement for 
which she compensated to herself toy so many nods 
and smiles, au l pauiamhnicgestures, that Noel was 
amused. 
Under these circumstances, the carefully-mod¬ 
ulated tones of Gillian Gray were the sounds 
that most frequently met his ear; and to one Avho 
I'.qiiu. to rur Kmuhobncv. A young Indy wa? 
sitting with a gallant captain in a imanning !a 
decorated recess on her knee whSA dlmlnUHvi 
niece, placed there i>onr left convrnamvs. in tin 
adjoining mum, with the door open, were the rest 
of the company. Says t he little niece, lu a jeahne 
and audible voice, •* Auntie, kiss me, too.” I lcavi 
you to imagine what had just happened, “ Yen 
should say tAvice, Ethel dear; tAVOis not grammar, 
Avas the Immediate rejoinder. Clever girl, that- 
[London World. 
