Ready



547



cause for gratitude-save, perhaps, Annabel.  Mr.
Channing restored to health and strength; Mrs. Chan-
ning's anxiety removed; Hamish secure in his new
prospects-for Mr. Huntley had made them certain;
heaviness removed from the heart of Constance; the
cloud lifted from Arthur; Tom on the pedestal he
thought he had lost, sure also of the Oxford exhibi-
tion; Charley amongst them again ! They could trace
the finger of God in all; and were fond of doing it.
  Soon after tea, Arthur rose. " I must drop in and
see Jenkins," he observed. " He will have heard the
items of news from twenty people, there's little doubt;
but he will like me to go to him with particulars. No
one in Helstonleigh has been more anxious that things
should turn out happily, than poor Jenkins."
  " Tell him he has my best wishes for his recovery,
Arthur," said Mr. Channing.
  I I will tell him," replied Arthur. " But I fear all
hope of recovery for Jenkins is past."
  It was more decidedly past than even Arthur sus-
pected when he spoke. A young woman was attend-
ing to Mrs. Jenkins's shop when Arthur passed through
it. Her face was strange to him; but from a certain
peculiarity in the eyes and mouth, he inferred it to be
Mrs. Jenkins's sister. In point of fact, that lady,
finding that her care of Jenkins and her care of the
shop rather interfered with each other, had sent for
her sister from the country to attend temporarily on
the latter. Lydia went up to Jenkins's sick-room, and
said a gentleman was waiting: and Mrs. Jenkins came
down.
  " Oh, it's you !" quoth she. " I hope he'll be at
rest now. He has been bothering his mind over you
all day. My opinion is, he'd never have come to this
state if he had taken things easy, like sensible people."
  " Is he in his room" inquired Arthur.
  " He is in his room, and in his bed. And what's
more, young Mr. Channing, he'll never get out of it
alive. "
  " Then he is worse"
  " le has been worse this four days. And I only
get him up now to have his bed made. I said to him
yesterday, ' Jenkins, you may put on your things, and