Mrs. Burke remained a week longer to nurse Colonel Preston. At the end of this time Mr. Preston thought he was well enough to dispense with a nurse, and accordingly she prepared to take leave.  
"I shall always remember your kind service, Mrs. Burke," said the colonel, warmly.
 
"It was only my duty, sir," said the widow, modestly.
 
"Not all would have done their duty so faithfully."
 
"I am glad to see you well again," said the widow.
 
"Not more than I am to get well, I assure you," said he. "Whenever you are in any trouble, come to me."
 
With these words, he placed in her hands an envelope, which, as she understood, contained the compensation for her services. She thanked him, and took her departure.
 
Mrs. Preston was curious to know how much her husband paid the nurse, and asked the question.
 
"A hundred dollars," he replied.
 
"A hundred dollars!" she repeated, in a tone which implied disapproval. "I thought she agreed to come for ten dollars a week."
 
"So she did."
 
"She has not been here ten weeks; only about six."
 
"That is true, but she has richly earned all I gave her."
 
"Ten dollars a week I consider very handsome remuneration to one in her position in life," said Mrs. Preston, pointedly.
 
"Lucinda, but for her attention I probably should not have lived through this sickness. Do you think a hundred dollars so much to pay for your husband's life?"
 
"You exaggerate the value of her services," said his wife.
 
"Dr. Townley says the same thing that I do."
 
"You are both infatuated with that woman," said Mrs. Preston, impatiently.
 
"We only do her justice."
 
"Oh, well, have it your own way. But I should have only paid her what I agreed to. It is a great windfall for her."
 
"She deserves it."
 
Mrs. Preston said no more at this time, for she found her husband too "infatuated," as she termed it, to agree with her. She did, however, open the subject to Godfrey when he came home, and he adopted her view of the case.
 
"She and her low son are trying to get all they can out of father," he said. "It's just like them."
 
"I wish I could make your father see it," said Mrs. Preston, "but he seems prepossessed in her favor."
 
"If he can give a hundred dollars to her, he can give me a little extra money; I'm going to ask him."
 
So he did the same evening.
 
"Will you give me ten dollars, father?" he asked.
 
"What for?"
 
"Oh, for various things. I need it."
 
"I give you an allowance of three dollars a week."
 
"I have a good many expenses."
 
"That will meet all your reasonable expenses. I was far from having as much money as that when I was of your age."
 
"I don't see why you won't give me the money," said Godfrey, discontentedly.
 
"I don't think you need it."
 
"You are generous enough to others."
 
"To whom do you refer?"
 
"You give plenty of money to that Irish boy and his mother."
 
"They have both rendered me great services. The boy saved me from being robbed. The mother, in all probability, saved me from falling a victim to smallpox. But that has nothing to do with your affairs. It is scarcely proper for a boy like you to criticise his father's way of disposing of his money."
 
"I confess I think Godfrey is right in commenting upon your extraordinary liberality to the Burkes," observed Mrs. Preston.
 
"Lucinda," said her husband, gravely, "when my own wife deserted my sick bed, leaving me to wrestle alone with a terrible and dangerous disease, I was fortunate enough to find in Mrs. Burke a devoted nurse. The money I have paid her is no adequate compensation, nor is it all that I intend to do for her."
 
There was a part of this speech that startled Mrs. Presto............