Having thus relieved her Mind, _Gatty_ was inclined to hear of our own Affairs while we were taking Tea. She was very sorry to hear of my _Father's_ sad Accident; and, learning from _Prue_ that he would be very glad to shake Hands with her if she did not mind going into his sick-Chamber, where he was now promoted to an easy Chair by the Fire, she stepped up to him with me, and enlivened him for Half-an-Hour with her cheerful Talk. Of course he rallied her about Mr. _Heavitree_,--that was to be expected,--but she took it very bravely, and gave him back Quip for Crank; yet all so modest and innocent-spoken, as the Jest of a Girl like _Gatty_ was certain to be. And somehow, by Way of Lady _Betty_, she got round, quite naturally, to Something serious, about Life and Death, Judgment and Eternity, that my _Father_ took better of her than he would have done from us, and that left us all with our Minds in a State of serious Composedness. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XVII. _Mr. Honeywood's Convalescence._ When _Prue_ and I made up our Books at the Year's End, we found to our great Thankfulness and Satisfaction, that in spite of our having paid many heavy Bills of my _Father's_, we were on the right Side the Post, and had cleared a good Year's Income. And this I told my _Father_ in so many Words, thinking it would please him as well as ourselves. "Humph!" said he; "'In spite of having paid many of your _Father's_ heavy Bills.' This carries an ill Sound with it. And the Sense is worse. Many a Father grudges paying his thoughtless Son's bills: well may industrious Daughters grudge paying the Bills of a thoughtless Father--" "Dear _Father_! I'm sure we don't grudge--" "Silence, Mrs. _Patty_! If I'm falling into a profitable and penitent State of Mind, why should you hinder me? Do you want Nobody to be good but yourself? That's your Pride. I've got my Share of Self-Knowledge and Humiliation, I hope, as well as other People; and when I say I've been thoughtless, _Madam_, (smiting the Table with his Fist,) I seriously mean it!" As Mr. _Fenwick_ had just been talking with him, I attributed this virtuous Self-Indignation to his Influence, and only hoped it might last. My _Father_ and he were now mighty Friends: although we were so far from _Shoreditch_, Mr. _Fenwick_ stepped over to us at least once a Week, saying he could not forget our Attentions to himself during his Illness, and considered us as a kind of Out-Parishioners. On these Occasions he frequently spent an Hour alone with my _Father_, and then joined us at the Tea-Table, which was profitable to the one Party and pleasant to the other.