"
Abijah's joy when she heard that Ned's innocence was proved was
no less than that of his brother and sister. She would have rushed
upstairs at once to tell the news to her mistress, but Ned persuaded
her not to do so until the doctor's return.
"Then he will have to be quick," Abijah said, "for if the mistress'
bell rings, and I have to go up before he comes, I shall never be
able to keep it to myself. She will see it in my face that something
has happened. If the bell rings, Miss Lucy, you must go up, and if
she asks for me, say that I am particular busy, and will be up in
a few minutes."
The bell, however, did not ring before the doctor's return. After
a short consultation between him and Ned, Abijah was called in.
"Mr. Sankey agrees with me, Abijah, that you had better break the
news. Your mistress is more accustomed to you than to any one else,
and you understand her ways. Here is the deposition. I shall wait
below here till you come down. There is no saying how she will take
it. Be sure you break the news gently."
Abijah went upstairs with a hesitating step, strongly in contrast
with her usual quick bustling walk. She had before felt rather
aggrieved that the doctor should be the first to break the news;
but she now felt the difficulty of the task, and would gladly have
been spared the responsibility.
"I have been expecting you for the last quarter of an hour, Abijah,"
Mrs.
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