Mr. Gray over his work said little concerning Ann Packet's occasional visits to his domicile, but he objected to them notwithstanding, for they drew his daughter's attention away from himself. He liked still less Mattie's visits to Chesterfield Terrace--flying visits, when she saw Ann Packet for an hour and Sidney Hinchford for a minute, looking in at the last moment, and heralded by Ann exclaiming, "Here's Mattie come to see you, sir." "Ah, Mattie!" Sid would answer, turning his face towards the door whence the voice issued, and attempting the feeblest of smiles. "Is there anything that I can do, sir, for you?" "No, girl, thank you." He would quickly relapse into that thought again, from which her presence had aroused him--and it was a depth of thought upon which the fugitive efforts of Mattie had no effect. Standing in the shadowy doorway she would watch him for awhile, then draw the door to after her and go away grieving at the change in him. The thought occurred to her that Harriet Wesden might even at that early stage work some amount of good until she heard from Ann Packet that Harriet and her father had called one day, and that Sidney had refused an interview. He was unwell; some other day when he was better; it was kind to call, but he could not be seen then, had been his excuses sent out by the servant maid. Mattie, who had always found time do good, and work many changes, left the result to time, until honest Ann one evening, when Mr. Gray was at work at his old post, asserted her fears that Sidney was getting worse instead of better. "I think he'll go melancholic mad like, poor dear," she said; "and it's no good my trying to brighten him a bit--he's wus at that, which is nat'ral, not being in my line, and wanting brightening up myself. He does nothing but brood, brood, brood, sitting of a heap all day in that chair!" "A month since his father died now," said Mattie, musing. "To the very day, Mattie." "He goes to church--you read the Bible to him?" asked Mr. Gray, suddenly. "He can't go by hisself--he's not very handy with his blindness, like those who have been brought up to it with a dog and a tin mug," said Ann in reply; "but let's hope he'll get used to it, and find it a comfort to him, sir." "I asked you also, young woman, if you ever read the Bible to him?" "Lor bless you, sir! I can't read fit enough for him--I take a blessed lot of spelling with it, and it aggravates him. All the larning I've ever had, has come from this dear gal of ours, and _he_ taught her first of all!" "I think that I could do this young man good," said Mr. Gray, suddenly; "I might impress him with the force of the truth--_convert him_." "I would not attempt to preach to him yet," suggested Mattie; "besides, his is a strange character--you will never understand it."