It was a great room, but the roof came down to the floor nearly all round. It was lighted only with a skylight. In the farthest corner was a screen. Hester crept gently towards it, and Amy after her, not attempting to stop her. She came to the screen and peeped behind it. There lay a young man in a troubled sleep, his face swollen and red and blotched with the small-pox; but through the disfigurement she recognized her brother. Her eyes filled with tears; she turned away, and stole out again as softly as she came in. Amy had been looking up at her anxiously; when she saw the tenderness of her look, she gathered courage and followed her. Outside, Hester stopped, and Amy again closed the door. "You _will_ forgive him, won't you, miss?" she said pitifully, "What do you want me to forgive him for, Amy?" asked Hester, suppressing her tears. "I don't know, miss. You seemed angry with him. I don't know what to make of it. Sometimes I feel certain it must have been his illness coming on that made him weak in his head and talk foolishness; and sometimes I wonder whether he has really been doing anything wrong." "He must have been doing something wrong, else how should _you_ be here, Amy?" said Hester with hasty judgment. "He never told me, miss: or of course I would have done what I could to prevent it," answered Amy, bewildered. "We were so happy, miss, till then! and we've never had a moment's peace since! That's why we came here--to be where nobody would find us. I wonder how he came to know the place!" "Do _you_ not know where you are then, Amy?" "No, miss; not in the least. I only know where to buy the things we need. He has not been out once since we came." "You are in our house, Amy. What will my father say!--How long have you--have you been--" Something in her heart or her throat prevented Hester from finishing the sentence. "How long have I been married to him, miss? You surely know that as well as I do, miss!" "My poor Amy! Did he make you believe we knew about it?" Amy gave a cry, but after her old way instantly crammed her handkerchief into her mouth, and uttered no further smallest sound. "Alas!" said Hester, "I fear he has been more wicked than we know! But, Amy, he has done something besides very wrong." Amy covered her face with her apron, through which Hester could see her soundless sobs. "I have been doing what I could to find him," continued Hester, "and here he was close to me all the time! But it adds greatly to my misery to find you with him, Amy!" "Indeed, miss, I may have been silly; but how was I to suspect he was not telling me the truth? I loved him too much for that! I told him I would not marry him without he had his father's leave. And he pretended he had got it, and read me such a beautiful letter from his mother! Oh, miss, it breaks my heart to think of it!"