"I have more than once proposed a change to her--and she always says No." The doctor paused for a moment, like a man collecting his thoughts.
"I heard something on my way here," he proceeded, "which suggests to my mind a method of meeting the difficulty that you have just mentioned.
Unless I am entirely mistaken, Miss Burnham will not say No to the change that I have in view for her." "What is it ?" asked Mrs.Crayford, eagerly.
"Pardon me if I ask you a question, on my part, before I reply," said the doctor.

"Are you fortunate enough to possess any interest at the Admiralty ?" "Certainly.

My father is in the Secretary's office; and two of the Lords of the Admiralty are friends of his." "Excellent! Now I can speak out plainly with little fear of disappointing you.

After what I have said, you will agree with me, that the only change in Miss Burnham's life which will be of any use to her is a change that will alter the present tone of her mind on the subject of Mr.Aldersley.Place her in a position to discover--not by reference to her own distempered fancies and visions, but by reference to actual evidence and actual fact--whether Mr.Aldersley is, or is not, a living man; and there will be an end of the hysterical delusions which now threaten to fatally undermine her health.

Even taking matters at their worst--even assuming that Mr.Aldersley has died in the Arctic seas--it will be less injurious to her to discover this positively, than to leave her mind to feed on its own morbid superstitions and speculations, for weeks and weeks together, while the next news from the Expedition is on its way to England.