on mounting guard, he was obliged to abandon the citadel, and to retire With the trusty Tim.
Nearly three hours of silence passed away, and Kate blushed to find when Nicholas returned, how long she had been sitting alone occupied with her own thoughts.
"I really thought it had not been half an hour," she said.
"They must have been pleasant thoughts, Kate," rejoined Nicholas gaily, "to make time pass away like that. What were they now?"
Kate was confused; she toyed with some trifle on the table—looked up and smiled—looked down and dropped a tear.
"Why, Kate," said Nicholas, drawing his sister towards him and kissing her, "let me see your face. No? Ah! that was but a glimpse; that's scarcely fair. A longer look than that, Kate. Come—and I'll read your thoughts for you."
There was something in this proposition, albeit it was said without the slightest consciousness or application, which so alarmed his sister, that Nicholas laughingly changed the subject to domestic matters, and thus gathered by degrees as they left the room and went up-stairs together, how lonely Smike had been all night—and by very slow degrees, too, for on this subject also Kate seemed to speak with some reluctance.
"Poor fellow," said Nicholas, tapping gently at his door, "what can be the cause of all this!"
Kate was hanging on her brother's arm, and the door being quickly opened, had not time to disengage herself, before Smike, very pale and haggard, and completely dressed, confronted them.
"And have you not been to bed?" said Nicholas.
"N—n—no," was the reply.
Nicholas gently detained his sister, who made an effort to retire; and asked, "Why not?"
"I could not sleep," said Smike, grasping the hand which his friend extended to him.
"You are not well?" rejoined Nicholas.
"I am better, indeed—a great deal better," said Smike quickly.
"Then why do you give way to these fits of melancholy?" inquired Nicholas, in his kindest manner; "or why not tell us the cause? You grow a different creature, Smike."
"I do; I know I do," he replied. "I will tell you the reason one day, but not now. I hate myself for this; you are all so good and kind. But I cannot help it. My heart is very full;—you do not know how full it is."
He wrung Nicholas's hand before he released it; and glancing for a moment at the brother and sister as they stood together, as if there were something in their strong affection which touched him very deeply, withdrew into his chamber, and was soon the only watcher under that quiet roof.
