WINNIE CORSELLIS; OR, DEATH IN THE POT.

223

be here directly, and then there will be no time
for any thing.”
“Tl speak to Jane, and write this evening to

engage the rooms; I should think they might start
| in a couple of days.”

But Mrs. Hammond entirely negatived that idea.
In a week she would go, if her husband wished it,
but to leave home with three children required
preparation, both for the sake of those who stayed
and those who went. The household arrangements
must be put in such a train that they would go on
almost of themselves, and a hundred things had to
be seen to that Mr. Hammond knew nothing about.
He and Mr. Ferrars fumed and fidgeted, but
Winnie supported her sister, and they would not
go before the end of the week.

“ What are you in such a hurry for?” she
asked George, as he stood one morning by the
drawing-room window, absently knocking off the
buds from a white geranium. “ Don’t do that, you
will spoil Carry’s plant: poor thing! I expect it
will be dead when we come back! but it may as
well live as long as it can.”

“T want you safe out of harm’s way,” replied
George, letting go the geranium and taking hold
of her hand. ‘You don’t know what cholera is,
Winnie! I don’t think I am afraid of it for myself,
but I can’t bear to think of your having it, it is

_such an awful thing.”

*Tsit ?” she whispered, nestling close to his side.

“Yes, darling.”

“And you are going to stay among it, to be
working in the midst of it while we are away and
safe! George, I wish we were married.”

“So do I, dear; but why do you want to be
married now ?”

“ Because, then I would not go to this wretched
place you and Charles have found out. I would
stay here, whether you liked it or not.”

“ Would you, Winnie ?” his arm was round her,
and he drew her close up to his side.

“ Yes, I would not go now if I could help it,
but I can’t stay here alone, and Jane has the
children to think of; but if we were married I
should stay—you would not wish me to go then,
George ?”

“T don’t know, darling,” he said, kissing her
forehead ; ‘perhaps I am almost glad we are not ;

it saves the difficulty.”

Two days later George Ferrars came hurriedly
into the consulting-room, and not finding Mr.

_Hammond, rang the bell, and sent the servant to

fetch him.

“What is it, Ferrars?” asked the elder man,
coming into the room. ‘J was just having some
lunch ; that case at Pensnett kept me so long
that I have been thrown quite behind-hand in my

work.”

“J am afraid there’s plenty waiting for us,” said
Mr. Ferrars gravely. “TI have left a case of cholera
at the poor-house in Tower-street.”

“Fatal, do you think ?”

“YT should say so. I thought you would wish
to come down, perhaps.”

“Yes, I will take a mouthful and be with you
directly. Have you had your dinner or lunch ?”

“No, I was going home when a messenger met
me.”

“Then come and eat something. Never go to bad
cases on an empty stomach ; you ought to know
better.”

“Well, I could not help it this time. Nobody
quite knew what was the matter till I got there,
and when they did they were frightened out of
their wits. The man was found by the roadside,
and brought in in a cart ; he looked like a tramp,
and I daresay he has come from Tipton or one of
those places where it is so violent.”

“ Very likely, but come and have some lunch.”

«Send me some here, I can’t go into the dining-
room just now.”

‘Jane and Winnie are out; you won’t see either
of them.”

Oh, then, I'l] come in, not that I should hurt
them if they were there, but it’s best to be careful.”

While the gentlemen took a hurried meal, they
talked over the arrangements which such an influx
of work as was now inevitable would bring with it.

‘ Tshall send Jane off to-morrow, whether she is
ready or not,” said Mr. Hammond, “you can go
with them and see they are settled. She wanted
to wait till Saturday, but when I took the lodgings,
I told Mrs. Ramsay they would be up at the farm

by five o’clock to-morrow. Jane wanted to write by

this evening’s post and delay it.”

“TJ shall be glad to have them safely out of the
way, there’s no use in their staying here.”

And then Mr. Hammond wrote a line to his
wife, and leaving it on the table, went off with his
partner to the workhouse. It was on finding this.
note that the sisters had talked about their banish-
ment to the farm, and Winnie had gone to pack up
her things, and get her ery over before George
Ferrars came back.

ut.

“Miss Winnie! if you’ve a mind to see the butter
made up, I’m just a going to begin,” said Mrs.
Ramsay, knocking at the parlour-door.

“ Are you? Oh, I'll come, please. Jane, Pll take
Trot with me ; she shall not get into mischief.”

And Winnie stooped to pick up a child who was
building a house on the floor with some toy bricks,
and then followed Mrs. Ramsay into the large
front kitchen, where the butter lay on the dresser
which stood in front of the window.