"Oh, I don't know!" answered Alice, but thought to herself: "It could
not have been what I said to her, and if it was, I must not tell."
The details of sickness are never interesting. I shall not dwell upon
Miriam's illness of several weeks; the doctors pronounced it to be
_angina pectoris_--a fearful and often fatal complaint, brought on in
those constitutionally predisposed to it, by any sudden shock to mind or
body. What could have caused its attack upon Miriam, they could not
imagine. And Alice Murray, in fear and doubt, held her tongue and kept
her own counsel. In all her illness, Miriam's reason was not for a
moment clouded--it seemed preternaturally awake; but she spoke not, and
it was observed that if Mr. Willcoxen, who was overwhelmed with distress
by her dreadful illness, approached her bedside and touched her person,
she instantly fell into spasms. In grief and dismay, Thurston's eyes
asked of all around an explanation of this strange and painful
phenomenon; but none could tell him, except the doctor, who pronounced
it the natural effect of the excessive nervous irritability attending
her disease, and urged Mr. Willcoxen to keep away from her chamber. And
Thurston sadly complied.
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