She really spoke as if she had been rebuking some infringement of

decorum, and Rachel was quite startled. She asked Grace why the mother

was so bent on making her vindictive, but Grace only answered that every

one must be very much shocked, and turned away the subject.

Prudent Grace! Her whole soul was in a tumult of wrath and shame at what

she knew to be the county gossip, but she was aware that Rachel's total

ignorance of it was the only chance of her so comporting herself in

court as to silence the rumour, and she and her mother were resolutely

discreet.

Mrs. Curtis, between nursing, anxiety, and worry, looked lamentably

knocked up, and at last Grace and Rachel prevailed on her to take a

drive, leaving Rachel on a sofa in her sitting-room, to what was

no small luxury to her just at present--that of being miserable

alone--without meeting any one's anxious eyes, or knowing that her

listlessness was wounding the mother's heart. Yet the privilege only

resulted in a fresh perturbation about the title-deeds, and longing to

consult some one who could advise and sympathize. Ermine Williams would

have understood and made her Colonel give help, but Ermine seemed as

unattainable as Nova Zembla, and she only heard that the Colonel was

absent. Her head as aching with the weary load of doubt, and she tried

to cheat her woe by a restless movement to the windows. She saw Captain

Keith riding to the door. It suddenly darted into her mind that here was

one who could and would help her. He could see Mauleverer and ascertain

what had become of the deeds; he could guess at the amount of danger!

She could not forget his kindness on the night of Lovedy's illness,

or the gentleness of his manner about the woodcuts, and with a sudden

impulse she rang the bell and desired that Captain Keith might be shown

in. She was still standing leaning on the table when he entered.

"This is very good in you," he said; "I met your mother and sister on

my way up, and they asked me to leave word of Conrade being better, but

they did not tell me I should see you."

"Conrade is better?" said Rachel, sitting down, unable to stand longer.

"Yes, his throat is better. Miss Williams's firmness saved him. They

think him quite out of danger."

"Thank Heaven! Oh, I could never have seen his mother again! Oh, she has

been the heroine!"

"In the truest sense of the word," he answered. And Rachel looked up

with one moment's brightening at the old allusion, but her oppression

was too great for cheerfulness, and she answered-"Dear Fanny, yes, she will be a rebuke to me for ever! But," she added,

before he had time to inquire for her health, "I wanted--I wanted to beg

you to do me a service. You were so kind the other night."




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