All had so far gone well. Maria Hatherton had been committed to take her

trial at the quarter sessions for the assault upon the children; but, as

her own little girl was still living, though in extreme danger, and the

Sisters promised to take charge of both for the present, Colonel Keith

had thought it only common humanity to offer bail, and this had been

accepted. Later in the day Mauleverer himself had been brought down,

having been taken up at a grand meeting of his Bristol friends, who had

all rallied round him, expressing strong indignation at the accusation,

and offering evidence as to character. He denied any knowledge of the

name of Maddox, and declared that he was able to prove that his own

account of himself as a popular, philanthropical lecturer was perfectly

correct; and he professed to be much amazed at the charges brought

against him, which could only have arisen from some sudden alarm in the

young lady's mind, excited by her friends, whom he had always observed

to be prejudiced against him. He appealed strongly against the hardship

of being imprisoned on so slight a charge; but, as he could find no one

to take his part, he reserved his defence for the quarter sessions, for

which he was fully committed. Colin thought, however, that it was so

doubtful whether the charges against him could be substantiated, that

it was highly necessary to be fully prepared to press the former forgery

against him, and had therefore decided upon sleeping at St. Norbert's

and going on by an early train to obtain legal advice in London, and

then to see Harry Beauchamp. Meantime, Ermine must write to her brother

as urgently as possible, backing up Colin's own representations of the

necessity of his return.

Ermine read eagerly, but Alison seemed hardly able to command her

attention to listen, and scarcely waited for the end of the letter

before her own disclosure was made. Francis was sickening with

diphtheria; he had been left behind in the morning on account of some

outbreak of peevishness, and Alison, soon becoming convinced that temper

was not solely in fault, had kept him apart from his brothers, and at

last had sent for the doctor, who had at once pronounced it to be

the same deadly complaint which had already declared itself in Rachel

Curtis. Alison had of course devoted herself to the little boy till his

mother's return from St. Norbert's, when she had been obliged to give

the first intimation of what the price of the loving little widow's

exploit might be. "I don't think she realizes the extent of the

illness," said Alison; "say what I would, she would keep on thanking me

breathlessly, and only wanting to escape to him. I asked if we should

send to let Colin know, and she answered in her dear, unselfish way, 'By

no means, it would be safer for him to be out of the way,' and, besides,

she knew how much depended on his going."




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