Her mother had spoken too much, and now came on the
miserable faintness. She never spoke again coherently; but when her
children and her husband stood by her bedside, she took lile Will's
hand and put it into Susan's, and looked at her with imploring eyes.
Susan clasped her arms round Will, and leaned her head upon his
little curly one, and vowed within herself to be as a mother to him.
Henceforward she was all in all to her brother. She was a more
spirited and amusing companion to him than his mother had been, from
her greater activity, and perhaps, also, from her originality of
character, which often prompted her to perform her habitual actions
in some new and racy manner. She was tender to lile Will when she
was prompt and sharp with everybody else--with Michael most of all;
for somehow the girl felt that, unprotected by her mother, she must
keep up her own dignity, and not allow her lover to see how strong a
hold he had upon her heart. He called her hard and cruel, and left
her so; and she smiled softly to herself, when his back was turned,
to think how little he guessed how deeply he was loved. For Susan
was merely comely and fine looking; Michael was strikingly handsome,
admired by all the girls for miles round, and quite enough of a
country coxcomb to know it and plume himself accordingly.
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