“Gone again; I do wish, Magnus, you would prevent her. She makes herself a slave to these poor neighbors of hers. I do really think that she has family cares and toils enough; and that when she has performed her household duties as well as she always does, she might consider herself discharged from other social obligations. I do wish you would talk to her very seriously about it. Now to-day she has had a very fatiguing time indeed; she was ironing all the forenoon, and this afternoon baking. And yet this evening, as soon as she had got supper and set the table, she placed the children all in my care, and against my advice, high as the wind is, and deep as the snow is drifted, she took a basket and filled it with provisions, and started to carry it to those poor Millers on the mountain. Indeed, I wish, Magnus, you would tell her not to do it.” “Me tell Elsie to do or not to do! Whew! Do you know, my dear lady-mother, what is the highest, the very highest boon of God to man? Free will—the blessed liberty of going even to the old Nick if they please. There are those so fond of ‘freedom,’ that they would prefer going to perdition by the exercise of their free will to being arbitrarily predestined to heaven!” “Perhaps so; but Elsie is not one of those, Dr. Hardcastle. If you were but to hint to your wife that you disapprove and dislike her thus exposing herself, she would stop it at once; she would think it her duty to do so.” “I know it; and therefore I have to be more chary in meddling with her docile spirit than if she had the self-will and temper of Xantippe. But, ah! do you think it does not make my heart ache to see her expose herself to wind and snow, and to think that I have not yet provided a carriage for her, and to see her work from early morning till night, doing all the housework of the family, and think that I have not yet got a servant for her? And now having brought her to all this, shall I fetter her will? No, by my soul!” said Dr. Hardcastle, with strong emotion. Mrs. Garnet arose and went to his side, and stood there, and drew his arm over her shoulder caressingly, as she said: “Magnus, you have made Elsie completely, divinely happy; I mean, as a mortal woman can be! No man can do more for his wife, very few can do so much. As for her privations and toils, it is I, only I, whose weakness caused all that! It was I who disinherited her! I!” “Hush! hush! a truce to self-criminations! Elsie is the only consistent, rational, equable one in the family, now Hugh is gone. And here she comes, the darling! and without her cloak, as I live. Come, Mrs. Garnet, we will both scold her for that. Let’s open upon her as soon as she gets in.” He kissed Alice’s hand and hastened to meet his wife. Here she came, cold as the weather was, actually without her cloak. He opened the door quickly, and received her in his arms, pressing her cold hands under his chin, to his bosom, to warm them, and drawing her on toward the fire.