This Kalliope told them with the desperate quietness of one who could not afford to give way. Her own affairs were entirely swallowed up in this far greater trouble, and for the present there were no means of helping her. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were thoroughly kind, and ready to give her efficient aid in her home cares and her nursing; and it could only be hoped that Alexis might come back in the evening, and set the poor patient’s mind at rest.
‘We will try to make Mr. White come to a better understanding,’ said Miss Mohun kindly.
‘Thank you’ said Kalliope, pushing back her hair with a half-bewildered look. ‘I remember my poor mother was very anxious about that. But it seems a little thing now.’
‘May God bless and help you, my dear,’ said Miss Mohun, with a parting kiss.
Gillian had not spoken all the time; but outside she said--‘Oh, aunt! is this my doing?’
‘Not quite,’ said Aunt Jane kindly. ‘There were other causes.’
Aunt Jane was really kind, and Gillian was grateful, but oh, how she longed for her mother!
There was no better news the next morning. Nothing had been heard of Alexis, and nothing would persuade his mother in her half-delirious and wholly unreasonable state that he had not been sent to prison, and that they were not keeping it from her. She was exceedingly ill, and Kalliope had been up all night with her.
Such was the report in a note sent up by Mrs. Lee by one of the little boys early in the morning, and, as soon as she could reasonably do so, Miss Mohun carried the report to Lord Rotherwood, whom she found much better, and anxious to renew the tour of inspection which had been interrupted.
Before long, Mr. White was shown in, intending to resume the business discussion, and Miss Mohun was about to retreat with Lady Rotherwood, when her cousin, taking pity on her anxiety, said--
‘If you will excuse me for speaking about your family matters, Mr. White, my cousin knows these young people well, and I should like you to hear what she has been telling me.’
‘A gentleman has just been calling on me about them,’ said Mr. White, not over-graciously.
‘Yes; a young clergyman, just what we used to call Puseyite when I left England; but that name seems to be gone out now.’
‘Anyway,’ said Jane, ‘I am sure he had nothing but good to say of Miss White, or indeed of her brother; and I am afraid the poor mother is very ill.’