I will fetch him after tea.

Cheer up! Please God, no harm will come to our little ones!" The mother brightened again; with her all the rest; and the tea-table clatter went on merry as ever.

Then, it being a wet night, Mrs.
Halifax gathered her boys round her knee for an evening chat over the kitchen-fire; while through the open door, out of the dim parlour came "Muriel's voice," as we called the harpsichord.

It seemed sweeter than ever this night, like--as her father once said, but checked himself, and never said it afterwards--like Muriel talking with angels.
He sat listening awhile, then, without any remark, put on his coat and went out to fetch the good doctor.

I followed him down to the stream.
"Phineas," he said, "will you mind--don't notice it to the mother--but mind and keep her and the children down-stairs till I come back ?" I promised.