She advanced to the table, but no one saw her for more than a minute, till at last Aunt Geoffrey stepped quickly up to it in search of some bottle. “Let me do something,” said Henrietta, catching up the bottle that she thought likely to be the right one. Her aunt looked vexed, and answered in a low quick tone, “You had better stay with your mamma.” “But why are you doing this? Is he worse? Is Mr. Philip Carey here? Has he ordered it?” “He is not come yet. My dear, I cannot talk to you: I should be much obliged if you would go back to your mamma.” Aunt Geoffrey went back to Fred, but a few minutes after she looked up and still saw Henrietta standing by the table. She came up to her, “Henrietta, you are of no use here; every additional person oppresses him; your mamma must be kept tranquil. Why will you stay?” “I was just going,” said Henrietta, taking this hurrying as an additional offence, and walking off in a dignified way. It was hard to say what had affronted her most, the proceeding itself, the neglect, or the commands which Aunt Geoffrey had presumed to lay upon her, and away she went to her mamma, a great deal too much displeased, and too distrustful to pay the smallest attention to any precautions which her aunt might have tried to impress upon her. “Well!” asked her mother anxiously. “She would not let me stay,” answered Henrietta. “She has been putting on leeches.” “Leeches!” exclaimed her mother. “He must be much worse. Poor fellow! Is Mr. Carey here?” “No, that is the odd thing.” “Has he not been sent for?” “I am sure I don’t know. Aunt Geoffrey seems to like to do things in her own way.” “It must be very bad indeed if she cannot venture to wait for him!” said Mrs. Frederick Langford, much alarmed. “And never to tell you!” said Henrietta. “O, that was her consideration. She knew how foolishly anxious I should be. I have no doubt that she is doing right. How did he seem to be?” “Very faint, I thought,” said Henrietta, “there seemed to be a great deal of bleeding, but Aunt Geoffrey would not let me come near.” “She knows exactly what to do,” said Mrs. Frederick Langford. “How well it was that she should be here.” Henrietta began to be so fretted at her mother’s complete confidence in her aunt, that without thinking of the consequences she tried to argue it away. “Aunt Geoffrey is so quick--she does things without half the consideration other people do. And she likes to settle everything.” But happily the confiding friendship of a lifetime was too strong to be even harassed for a moment by the petulant suspicions of an angry girl. “My dear, if you were not vexed and anxious, I should tell you that you were speaking very improperly of your aunt. I am perfectly satisfied that she is doing what is right by dear Fred, as well as by me; and if I am satisfied, no one else has any right to object.”