to think so, sir. Is it like her to leave us
without a word of notice, knowing, as she must have known, the
unhappiness she would cause to me, who love her so well, by such a step?
She knew how I loved her. I think she had scarcely a secret from me."

"If you will only tell me the manner of her departure," Gilbert said
rather impatiently.

"Yes, yes, sir; I am coming to that directly. She seemed happier after
she came back from London, poor dear; and she told me that her
grandfather had left her money, and that she was likely to become quite a
rich woman. The thought of this gave her so much pleasure--not for her
own sake, but for her husband's, whose cares and difficulties would all
come to an end now, she told me. She had been back only a few days, when
I left home for a day and a night, to see my aunt--an old woman and a
constant invalid, who lives at Malsham. I had put off going to her for a
long time, for I didn't care about leaving Mrs. Holbrook; but I had to go
at last, my aunt thinking it hard that I couldn't spare time to spend a
day with her, and tidy up her house a bit, and see to the girl that waits
upon her, poor helpless thing. So I started off before noon one day,
after telling Mrs. Holbrook where I was going, and when I hoped to be
back. She was in very good spirits that morning, for she expected her
husband next day. 'I have told him nothing about the good fortune that
has come to me, Nelly,' she said; 'I have only written to him, begging
him to return as quickly as possible, and he will be here to-morrow by
the afternoon express.' Mr. Holbrook is a great walker, and generally
walks from Malsham here, by a shorter way than the high-road, across some
fields and by the river-bank. His wife used always to go part of the way
to meet him when she knew he was coming. I know she meant to go and meet
him this time. The way is very lonely, and I have often felt fidgety
about her going alone, but she hadn't a bit of fear; and I didn't like to
offer to go with her, feeling sure that Mr. Holbrook would be vexed by
seeing me at such a time. Well, sir, I had arranged everything
comfortably, so that she should miss nothing by my being away, and I bade
her good-bye, and started off to walk to Malsham. I can't tell you how
hard it seemed to me to leave her, for it was the first time we had been
parted for so much as a day since she came to the Grange. I thought of
her all the while I was at my aunt's; who has very fidge