"Well," said the doctor as he released her, "I may set Lady Jane's
mind at rest. Nothing the matter there with the health."
"Nothing the matter but perverseness, I am afraid," said Lady
Barbara, as Kate stole back to her place, and shut her face in with
the board of her atlas. "It is my sister who is the victim, and I
cannot have it go on. She is so dreadfully distressed whenever the
child is in disgrace that it is doing her serious injury. Do you not
see it, Mr. Mercer?"
"She is very fond of the child," said Mr. Mercer.
"That is the very thing! She is constantly worrying herself about
her, takes all her naughtiness for illness, and then cannot bear to
see her reproved. I assure you I am forced for my sister's sake to
overlook many things which I know I ought not to pass by." (Kate
shuddered.) "But the very anxiety about her is doing great harm."
"I thought Lady Jane nervous and excited this morning," said Mr.
Mercer: "but that seemed to me to be chiefly about the Colonel's
return."
"Yes," said Lady Barbara, "of course in some ways it will be a great
pleasure; but it is very unlucky, after staying till the war was
over, that he has had to sell out without getting his promotion. It
will make a great difference!"
"On account of his son's health, is it not?"
"Yes; of course everything must give way to that, but it is most
unfortunate. The boy has never recovered from his wound at Lucknow,
and they could not bear to part, or they ought to have sent him home
with his mother long ago; and now my brother has remained at his post
till he thought he could be spared; but he has not got his promotion,
which he must have had in a few months.
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