Brother and sister drew near to each other, with far deeper mutual affection than they had ever felt before, during Harry’s slow return to health. They felt that they had much in common, both ardent, passionate natures being tied to colder ones, who could not or would not respond to their warmth with the entire abandonment they craved. There the likeness in their positions ended, however, for Lilian had never even tried to sound the depths in the heart of her middle-aged husband, while every look, every touch that Harry bestowed on his wife told wistfully of the longing he had felt to be master of her love as he was already of her duty. The gentleness and even the tenderness of her care of him now would have satisfied any one less exacting. But fondness had made the young fellow clear-sighted; and he knew, or thought he knew, that her heart could give more than that, if he could only reach it. Annie herself, who seemed in this matter to have exchanged wits with her husband, growing duller of perception as he grew brighter, fancied that his fondness for his sister had grown stronger than his fondness for her, and, after a moment’s pique, she felt glad of it, as it rendered an avowal she had to make all the easier. It was on the first day after he had again joined the family circle that she found an opportunity of speaking to him alone, and of telling him, under a promise of secrecy, that George had told her he was in serious difficulties, and feared that he would not be able to keep up the establishment at the Grange much longer. Harry listened rather indifferently. He had been so accustomed to hear of these difficulties, not only since his brother had been the head of the family, but also in his father’s lifetime, that, as it had never been his business to find a way out of them, they had altogether ceased to excite any emotion in him, beyond a faint wonder why people could not keep these matters to themselves, without worrying other people about them, and an injured feeling that the head of the family would want to cut down his allowance. “George is always in difficulties,” said he. “Ah, but it is serious this time! We really must think about it.” “Well, what does he want us to do? Sell matches or enlist? There is nothing else for any of us.” “Yes, there is, for one,” said Annie, cautiously, watching him. “Look here, Harry: I’ve had an engagement offered me which will bring me in so much money that, if I save, we might live upon it before long.” “Who’s we?” “You and I, of course.” “And do you think I would live upon your money?” “I think you would be very unreasonable not to do so, if I could make enough to keep us. I don’t believe George will have enough for us all much longer, and then----” “Then it is I who should work, not you.” “I think it is the one who has been used to it who should work, and that, you know, is I,” she said, smiling. But Harry did not smile back. He moved restlessly on his sofa.