The sound came again. It was a muffled sob.
The stifled sound, just audible in the dead stillness of the night, went
through and through her who stood there listening aghast. Her bowels
yearned over her child, and she hurried to the door, but recollected
herself, and knocked, very gently. "Don't be alarmed, love; it is only
me. May I come in?" She did not wait for the answer, but turned the
handle and entered. She found Julia sitting up in bed, looking wildly at
her, with cheeks flushed and wet. She sat on the bed and clasped her to
her breast in silence: but more than one warm tear ran down upon Julia's
bare neck; the girl felt them drop, and her own gushed in a shower.
"Oh, what have I done?" she sobbed. "Am I to make you wretched too?"
Mrs. Dodd did not immediately reply. She was there to console, and her
admirable good sense told her that to do that she must be calmer than her
patient; so even while she kissed and wept over Julia, she managed
gradually to recover her composure. "Tell me, my child," said she, "why
do you act a part with me? Why brave it out under my eye, and spend the
night secretly in tears? Are you still afraid to trust me?"
"Oh no, no; but I thought I was so strong, so proud: I undertook
miracles.
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