Jane tried to speak, but sobs prevented her, and she gave way to a violent fit of crying. Her cousin feared he had been unwise in saying so much, and had weakened the effect of his own words. He would have been glad to see tears of repentance, but he was afraid that she was weeping over fancied unkindness, and that he might have done what might be hurtful to her in her weak state. He said a few kind words, and tried to console her, but this change of tone rather added to her distress, and she became hysterical. He was much vexed and alarmed, and, ringing the bell, hastened to call assistance. He found Esther, and sent her to Jane, and on returning to the schoolroom with some water, he found her lying exhausted on the sofa; he therefore went in search of his uncle, who was overlooking some farming work, and many were the apologies made, and many the assurances he received, that it would be better for her in the end, as the impression would be more lasting. Jane was scarcely conscious of her cousin’s departure, or of Esther’s arrival, but after drinking some water, and lying still for a few moments, she exclaimed, ‘Oh, Robert! oh, Esther! the confirmation!’ and gasped and sobbed again. Esther thought she had guessed the cause of her tears, and tried to comfort her. ‘Ah! Miss Jane, there will be another confirmation some day; it was a sad thing you were too ill, to be sure, but—’ ‘Oh! if I had—if he would not say—if he had thought me fit.’ Esther was amazed, and asked if she should call Miss Weston, who was now with Lilias. ‘No, no!’ cried Jane, nearly relapsing into hysterics. ‘She shall not see me in this state.’ Esther hardly knew what to do, but she tried to soothe and comfort her by following what was evidently the feeling predominating in Jane’s mind, as indicated by her broken sentences, and said, ‘It was a pity, to be sure, that Mr. Devereux came and talked so long, he could not know of your being so very weak, Miss Jane.’ ‘Yes,’ said Jane, faintly, ‘I could have borne it better if he had waited a few days.’ ‘Yes, Miss, when you had not been so very ill. Mr. Devereux is a very good gentleman, but they do say he is very sharp.’ ‘He means to be kind,’ said Jane, ‘but I do not think he has much consideration, always.’ ‘Yes, Miss Jane, that is just what Mrs. White said, when—’