"
Elsie gave him her hand mechanically. It seemed to him that a cold aura
shot from it along his arm and chilled the blood running through his
heart. He pressed it gently, looked at her with a face full of grave
kindness and sad interest, then softly relinquished it.
It was all over with poor Elsie. They walked almost in silence the rest
of the way. Mr. Bernard left her at the gate of the mansion-house, and
returned with sad forebodings. Elsie went at once to her own room, and
did not come from it at the usual hours. At last Old Sophy began to be
alarmed about her, went to her apartment, and, finding the door unlocked,
entered cautiously. She found Elsie lying on her bed, her brows strongly
contracted, her eyes dull, her whole look that of great suffering. Her
first thought was that she had been doing herself a harm by some deadly
means or other. But Elsie, saw her fear, and reassured her.
"No," she said, "there is nothing wrong, such as you are thinking of; I
am not dying. You may send for the Doctor; perhaps he can take the pain
from my head.
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