It is now 4 o'clock in the morning and she is here and has been sitting up all night. She came up yesterday afternoon and insisted in staying as she said I required rest. Mrs Rhatigan sat up a few nights ago with me. I thought it was so kind in her for she has gone nowhere since her husband's death and is in very low spirits. Mrs McDonald has also been very kind. She sat up one night this week and said she would come again whenever I wished. It is a great comfort to me to have so much assistance. I am getting quite strong again. How very thoughtless the person was who told you I was ill. It was what I feared. Had I thought you would not have been told I would not have mentioned it in my letter for fear of making you anxious but it is impossible to keep anything secret in this place. I am so glad now that I did tell you as you would have felt still more alarmed than you were had I not done so. I did not tell you in