I feel so dull." "That I cannot allow," said the doctor, "it would make your head ache, but I have no objection to someone reading to you some nice, amusing novel, Dickens's "Pickwick Papers," for instance, or a story of Marryat's, something light and amusing, I mean, which will not excite you too much." "I should like that," said Henrietta and the choice fell on the "Pickwick Papers." But as the English governess complained that she could never read aloud for ten minutes at a time without growing hoarse and Clementina's eyes were too weak for any such office, it was suggested that Margari should be asked to submit to this extra sacrifice, and Clementina succeeded in persuading him to do so by promising him a liberal reward.

So she brought him back with her and seated him behind a curtain so that he could not see the invalid (that would have been scarcely proper), and put the book into his hand.
But scarcely had Margari struggled through a few lines when Henrietta again became fidgety and said she longed for something to eat.

The good-natured Clementina jumped with joy at this sign of returning appetite, and asked her what she would like and how she would like it.
Henrietta thereupon directed her to have prepared a soup of such a complicated character (only the morbid imagination of an invalid could have conceived such a monstrosity), that Clementina felt obliged to descend to the kitchen herself to superintend its concoction herself, for it was certain that any servant would have forgotten half the ingredients before she could get down stairs.
Scarcely had Clementina shut the door behind her when Henrietta interrupted Margari's elocution.
"For Heaven's sake, come nearer to me," she said, "I want to speak to you." The worthy man was so frightened by this unexpected summons that he had half a mind to rush out and call for assistance.

He fancied that the young lady had become delirious--it was such an odd thing to ask him to draw nearer.

But the sick girl, pressing together her trembling hands, looked at him so piteously that he could hesitate no longer but approached her bedside.
Henrietta did not scruple to seize the hand of the embarrassed gentleman.
"For God's sake, help me, my good Margari," she whispered.