Out of her sphere - University Library

WHAT CLARE WAITED FOR. 141
a-lways doing so. Mr. Harben had often
warned him against it. He was too tired
when he came in to ask for Mrs. Thornton.
He had sometimes come home hke that
before, but never so thoroughly exhausted.
She beheved, and so she knew did Mr.
Harben, that he had never recovered from
an illness which he had had at the end of
the summer. He would not give in then,
and lay by, as Mr. Harben had told
him he should do, but had gone on working
ever since, as if nothing ailed him. He
was too tired to eat, but went up to bed at
once, and the next morning he was quite
unconscious, and in a low fever. He had
remained in that state ever since."
" Did Mr. and Mrs. Thornton live happily
together ?"
" Well, that was hard to say. They
never quarrelled, that she was aware of;
but still, as far as she could judge, they
did not seem to agree too well. Mrs.