ny, for I would receive hers. After a time I may
hope to be happy. How long a time, I wonder?"

Chapter XI.

Spiritualism, Love, And Politics

Great was the grief of Emily when she heard that Mr. Brandon was going
away in a week or two, and that he might never come back to England for
a dozen of years; and now, instead of spending the rest of his time in
London with them, he had to go to Ashfield, to spend his last days in
England with his mother and sisters and nephews and nieces. She felt
quite wronged by this conduct, and bade him goodbye when he came to
take his temporary leave of them, with an amount of sulkiness rather
foreign to her character. Lessons were a far greater bore than usual on
that day, and both Emily and Harriett tried Jane's patience sorely.
After they were set free for two hours in the middle of the day, Jane
found her cousin was waiting for her to go out with him, and she wished
very particularly to see him, on account of some news she had got from
Scotland. He had not been satisfied to have none of her society on the
preceding day, and had appointed with Mrs. Phillips to come when she
would be at leisure, which that lady had forgotten or neglected to tell
Jane or Elsie. It was Jane alone whom he wished to see--it was to her
alone that he could speak about the communication with reference to his
letter. Jane was sorry that Elsie was not asked to accompany their
walk; but when Francis said he had something on his mind, and proceeded
to tell all the singular circumstances of the previous evening, she
listened with the greatest attention and with a suspended judgment.
When he came to the mental question which related to herself, he simply
called it something on which his heart was greatly set--it might have
been his allotments or his cottages; but Jane asked no questions, and
took no notice of his want of completeness in his narrative. Then he
told of the inquiry as to Mrs. Peck's connection with Mr. Phillips,
which he ought not to have asked, and which had received no answer. He
paused for Jane's opinion before he came to narrate Mr. Dempster's
message from his friend lost in the bush.

"Now, what do you think of all this, Jane?"

"I am a little staggered, as you were," said she. "I wish you had heard
more or less--it bewilders me."

"Should I then follow this advice so strangely given?"

"I think the advice exactly corresponds with what you had resolved to
do at any rate. It need no