In a few minutes this violent expression of feeling came to an end. She took her arms from the pillow and sat up and spoke again to the friend at her side; who meanwhile had been perfectly quiet, offering neither to check nor to comfort her. Elizabeth went back to a repetition of her last remark, as if for an excuse. "I never even tried to nurse anybody before -- and the doctor couldn't stay with me this morning --" "I will do both now," said Winthrop. "What?" -- said Elizabeth looking at him bewilderedly. "Stay with you, and take care of Mr. Haye." "Oh no! you must not!" she said with a sort of eager seriousness; -- "I shouldn't like to have you." "I have seen something of the disease," he said smiling slightly, "and I am not afraid of it. -- Are you?" "Oh yes! -- oh yes!!" How much was confessed in the tone of those words! -- and she hid her face again. But her companion made no remark. "Is there no friend you would like to have sent for?" "No," said Elizabeth, -- "not one! not one here -- and not anywhere, that I should care to have with me." "May I go up and see Mr. Haye now?" he said presently. "Which is the room?" Elizabeth rose up to shew him. "No," he said, gently motioning her back, -- "I am going alone. You must stay here." "But I must go too, Mr. Landholm! --" "Not if I go," he said. "But I am his daughter, -- I must." "I am not his daughter -- so as far as that goes we are even. And by your own confession you know nothing of the matter; and I do. No -- you must not go above this floor." "Until when, Mr. Landholm?" said Elizabeth looking terrified. "Until new rules are made," he said quietly. "While you can do nothing in your father's room, both for him and for you it is much better that you should not be there." "And can't I do anything?" said Elizabeth. "If I think you are wanted, I will let you know. Meanwhile there is one thing that can be done everywhere." He spoke, looking at her with a face of steady kind gravity. Elizabeth could not meet it; she trembled with the effort she made to control herself. "It is the thing of all others that I cannot do, Mr. Landholm." "Learn it now, then. Which is the room?" Elizabeth told him, without raising her eyes; and stood motionless on the floor where he left her, without stirring a finger, as long as she could hear the sound of his footsteps. They went first to the front door, and she heard him turn the key; then they went up the stairs. The locking of that door went to her heart, with a sense of comfort, of dependence, of unbounded trust in the hand, the heart, the head, that had done it. It roused, or the taking off of restraint roused again, all the tumult of passions that had raged after her first coming in. She dropped on her knees by the sofa and wrapping her arms round the cushion as she had done before, she laid her head down on it, and to all feeling laid her heart down too; such bitter and deep and long sobs shook and racked her breast.