Pedro in Brazil, by the next post), was glad to be able to
add this medical opinion to relieve his patron's mind of any fear of
having hastened his brother's death by his innocent appearance. But here
the entrance of Sibyl Eversleigh with her friends drove all else from
his mind.

She looked so tall and graceful in her black dress, which set off her
dazzling skin, and, with her youthful gravity, gave to her figure the
charming maturity of a young widow, that he was for a moment awed and
embarrassed. But he experienced a relief when she came eagerly toward
him in all her old girlish frankness, and with even something of
yearning expectation in her gray eyes.

"It was so good of you to come," she said. "I thought you would imagine
how I was feeling"--She stopped, as if she were conscious, as Randolph
was, of a certain chill of unresponsiveness in the company, and said
in an undertone, "Wait until we are alone." Then, turning with a slight
color and a pretty dignity toward her friends, she continued: "Lady
Ashbrook, this is Mr. Trent, an old friend of both my cousins when they
were in America."

In spite of the gracious response of the ladies, Randolph was aware
of their critical scrutiny of both himself and Miss Eversleigh, of
the exchange of significant glances, and a certain stiffness in
her guardian's manner. It was quite enough to affect Randolph's
sensitiveness and bring out his own reserve.

Fancying, however, that his reticence disturbed Miss Eversleigh, he
forced himself to converse with Lady Ashbrook--avoiding many of her
pointed queries as to himself, his acquaintance with Sibyl, and the
length of time he expected to stay in England--and even accompanied her
to her carriage. And here he was rewarded by Sibyl running out with a
crape veil twisted round her throat and head, and the usual femininely
forgotten final message to her visitor. As the carriage drove away, she
turned to Randolph, and said quickly,--

"Let us go in by way of the garden."

It was a slight detour, but it gave them a few moments alone.

"It was so awful and sudden," she said, looking gravely at Randolph,
"and to think that only an hour before I had been saying unkind things
of him! Of course," she added naively, "they were true, and the groom
admitted to me that the mare was overdriven and Sir William could
hardly stand. And only to think of it! he never recovered complete
consciousness, but muttered incoherently all the time. I was