He said, frankly, that he regarded Miss Leonard’s symptoms alarming, and thought that it would be best for her to report twice a day for the present; then he prescribed certain remedies, to be given during the next twelve hours, after which he politely accompanied her to the door, and bade her a courteous good-morning. She procured what she needed from the nearest pharmacy, and then hastened home, greatly relieved to have her burden shared by a skilful physician. But although she eagerly availed herself of his advice, and faithfully followed it, there were weary days and weeks before her, for Miss Leonard had a long and tedious illness. At first she seemed to be doing better than had been anticipated, and both doctor and nurse were congratulating themselves that she would soon be out of danger, when, one morning, the wilful woman insisted upon getting up, took cold, and then for three weeks lay very near death’s door, and unconscious most of the time of all that was going on around her. Then, upon her own responsibility, Salome admitted Dr. Minot to his patient, and he came twice every day, until she began to come to herself, when he treated her through Salome, as before. Then there were four weeks more of slow and tedious convalescence, during which the invalid tried the souls of her attendants to their utmost endurance. Salome, however, was very pitiful and tender, for during her delirium she had betrayed much which she had never meant any human being to know, and the girl had shed many tears over the sorrows and trials that had made her the crabbed and peculiar creature that she was. She resolved that nothing should make her get out of patience with her—that she would bear with her weakness and her crochets, and she even really began to feel an affection, such as a mother often experiences toward a feeble and fractious child. She never allowed her to see a cloud upon her brow; she always greeted her with a smile, responded to her complaints with cheerful, hopeful words, and was ever gentle and considerate, even when she was almost worn out with her ceaseless watching and anxiety. She often wondered that her own strength did not give out; but she was perfectly well, although very weary, and was conscious that she was steadily outgrowing the troubles that had threatened her before leaving Boston. She knew that the tide of health had turned strongly in her favor during those few weeks when she had been so happy in her husband’s home and love, and the good work was still going on. One morning Miss Leonard seemed to be more than usually unmanageable, and was so rude and cross with Salome that she was obliged to make some excuse to leave the room, in order to conceal the tears she could no longer restrain. Then Harriet, who had grown to love her very dearly during these weeks of mutual watching and anxiety, turned upon her mistress and gave vent to her indignation.