Chapter 19

Summary

Emily Price watched with the untiring affection of woman by her brother. Naturally impatient, and at this moment suffering mental as well as bodily pain, Everard required all that gentleness and fond attention which his sister showed, to make him support with tolerable patience the irksomeness of his situation. Charles came often and Emily could not help admiring the sweetness with which he bore her brother's peevish gloomy answers or cold manner; the cheerful good-humour with which he strove to amuse by anecdotes he thought might be interesting to his companion; the eager manner in which he entered into, and encouraged, Everard's taste for politics; and above all his accounts of Alixe, so free from selfishness, so entirely forgetting all but the wishes and happiness of his adopted sister.

And deep indeed must have been the love that could have blinded Charles to the kind interest and admiration of that dark soft watchful eye and the blush that wavered on the pale and weary cheek, whenever the anecdote he told aroused the best of her pure and affectionate heart. He saw in Emily, Everard's sister, Alixe's friend, but for himself nothing. The anxious tones of that one dear voice in his home, rung in his ear even while talking to others. And his eyes, while they seemed to be perusing mournfully some strange fea-tures, gave him back the bright, laughter-loving glance of his fairy.

Meantime, Everard grew better. He was able to come downstairs and tho’ still forbidden to stir his arm, might at least see and converse with his friends and relieve the ennui that consumed him. Lady St Clair brought Alixe after his first few days of comparative liberty were announced. And the buoyant spirits of her adopted child rose in proportion as her fears had been great. Overjoyed to be once more with him who was her chief object in life, she saw no cloud in the brightness of her future, but laughed, talked, and looked gaily up at her lover, as she sat on a low ottoman by his sofa. But Everard was not in the mood for gaiety and in the midst of the low silver laugh of his companion, he turned his head away with a murmur that almost amounted to a groan.