life has been embittered for years by the loss of
perhaps an only son?" half laughingly remarked Lance.

"Ah! do not jest upon such a subject," exclaimed Blanche. "You
evidently have not the least idea what a complete blight such a loss may
cast upon a parent's life. I have. There is my poor uncle, Sir
Richard, who has never held up his head since he lost his wife and child
at sea. My mother has told me that before his terrible bereavement
there was not a more genial light-hearted happy man living than uncle
Dick; but he has never been known to smile since the dreadful news first
reached him; and though he has always struggled bravely against his
great sorrow, I feel sure he looks forward eagerly to the time when he
shall be called away to rejoin his wife and his baby boy."

"How very sad!" remarked Lance in sympathetic tones. "I am slightly
acquainted with Sir Richard Lascelles, that is to say, I have met him
once or twice, and I have often wondered what great trouble it could be
that seemed to be pressing so heavily upon him. If it would not
distress you too much I should like to hear how he met with his terrible
loss."

"I have no objection to tell you," answered Blanche. "It occurred very
shortly after I was born. My uncle was then a younger son, with very
little expectation of ever succeeding to the baronetcy, for there were
two brothers older than himself, and he had a captain's commission in
the army. He had married a lady of whom, because she happened to have
no money, his father strongly disapproved, and a serious quarrel between
father and son was the consequence.

"Shortly after his marriage my uncle's regiment was ordered off to North
America, and uncle Dick naturally took his wife with him. The regiment
was moved about from place to place, and finally, when my uncle had been
married about three years, was broken up into detachments; that which he
commanded being sent, in consequence of some trouble with the Indians,
to an important military outpost at a considerable distance up the
Ottawa River.

"Of course it was quite impossible for my aunt to accompany her husband
into the wilds, especially as she was then the mother of a son some
eighteen months old, and the question which arose was, What was she to
do?

"It was at first proposed that she should establish herself in Montreal
until the return of the expedition; but a letter reaching her just at
that time stating that her mother's health