“I think it would be the greatest blessing for the poor little thing,” said Lyra, with a nearer approach to seriousness than she usually made. “And the greatest care for you,” she added, after a moment. “I shall not care for the care. I shall be glad of it--thankful for it,” cried Annie fervidly. “If you can get it,” Lyra suggested. “I believe I can get it. I believe I can make Mr. Peck see that it's a duty. I shall ask him to regard it as a charity to me--as a mercy.” “Well, that's a good way to work upon Mr. Peck's feelings,” said Lyra demurely. “Was that the plan that Dr. Morrell approved of so highly?” “Yes.” “I didn't know but it was some course of treatment. You pressed his hand so affectionately. I said to myself, Well, Annie's either an enthusiastic patient, or else--” “What?” demanded Annie, at the little stop Lyra made. “Well, you know what people do _say_, Annie.” “What?” “Why, that you're very much out of health, or--” Lyra made another of her tantalising stops. “Or what?” “Or Dr. Morrell is very much in love.” “Lyra, I can't allow you to say such things to me.” “No; that's what I've kept saying to myself all the time. But you would have it _out_ of me. _I_ didn't want to say it.” It was impossible to resist Lyra's pretended deprecation. Annie laughed. “I suppose I can't help people's talking, and I ought to be too old to care.” “You ought, but you're not,” said Lyra flatteringly. “Well, Annie, what do you think of our little evening at Mrs. Munger's in the dim retrospect? Poor Ralph! What did the doctor say about him?” She listened with so keen a relish for the report of Putney's sayings that Annie felt as if she had been turning the affair into comedy for Lyra's amusement. “Oh dear, I wish I could hear him! I thought I should have died last night when he came back, and began to scare everybody blue with his highly personal remarks. I wish he'd had time to get round to the Northwicks.” “Lyra,” said Annie, nerving herself to the office; “don't you think it was wicked to treat that poor girl as you did?” “Well, I suppose that's the way some people might look at it,” said Lyra dispassionately. “Then how--_how_ could you do it?” “Oh, it's easy enough to behave wickedly, Annie, when you feel like it,” said Lyra, much amused by Annie's fervour, apparently. “Besides, I don't know that it was so _very_ wicked. What makes you think it was?” “Oh, it wasn't that merely. Lyra, may I--_may_ I speak to you plainly, frankly--like a sister?” Annie's heart filled with tenderness for Lyra, with the wish to help her, to save a person who charmed her so much. “Well, like a _step_-sister, you may,” said Lyra demurely. “It wasn't for her sake alone that I hated to see it. It was for your sake--for _his_ sake.”