"Hartley, for shame!" cried Mary, with her eyes flashing. "You left here an hour ago full of faith and trust in the friend of many years' standing. You find him ill and peculiar in his manner, and you come back here ready to think all manner of evil of him. Is this just?" "But he was so very strange and peculiar, my child. You cannot imagine how queer." "Hartley!" cried Mary warmly; "how can you! Horace North must be very ill, and needs his friend's help. Your account of his acts and words suggests delirium. Go back to him at once." "Go back to him?" "Yes; at once. Have you forgotten his goodness to us--how he snatched Leo back from the jaws of death?" "You think I ought to go, Mary?" said Salis dubiously. "I shall think my brother is under some strange influence--suffering from wounded pride--if he does not frankly go to our old friend's help." "I'll go back at once," cried Salis excitedly. "Why, Mary, when you were active and strong, I always thought I had to teach and take care of you. Now you are an invalid, you seem to teach and guide me." "No, no," said Mary tenderly. "It is only that I lie here for many hours alone, thinking of what is best for us all. Not yet, Hartley: I want to say something else." "Yes," he said, going down on one knee by her couch, and holding her hand; "what is it?" "I want to say a few words to you about Leo," said Mary, after a pause. "About Leo?" said Salis uneasily. "Yes, dear. I tell you I lie here for many hours thinking about you both. I want to speak about Leo and--Mr North." "Yes," said Salis gravely, as Leo's manner when the servant came from the Hall flashed upon his mind. "What do you wish to say?" "Do you consider that there is any engagement between them?" "I hardly know what to say. North seemed deeply attached to her." "Yes," said Mary; "but I have felt puzzled by his manner lately. He has not been." "And he has not sent her flowers as he used." "No; I have noticed that. Has Mr North felt that Leo has slighted him in any way." "Why, Mary," cried Salis excitedly, "what a brain you have! My dear child, you have hit upon the cause of his strange manner. You noticed-- you noticed Leo's manner when the news came of Candlish's illness--for I suppose I must call it so." "Yes," said Mary, with a sigh. "I noticed it." "And North must have seen something. Mary, my girl, what shall I do?" "What shall you do?" "Yes; I am divided between my sister and my friend. There! I must speak out. It would be the saving of Leo if she could become North's wife; and yet, much as I love her and wish for her happiness, I feel as if I am being unjust to North to let matters go farther." Mary lay back with her eyes half closed for some minutes before she felt that she could trust her voice so that it should not betray her.