es, and had brought Charlson back with
him to the house.

Barnet's presence was not needed here, and he felt it to be his next duty
to set off at once and find Downe, that no other than himself might break
the news to him.

He was quite sure that no chance had been lost for Mrs. Downe by his
leaving the shore. By the time that Mrs. Barnet had been laid in the
carriage, a much larger group had assembled to lend assistance in finding
her friend, rendering his own help superfluous. But the duty of breaking
the news was made doubly painful by the circumstance that the catastrophe
which had befallen Mrs. Downe was solely the result of her own and her
husband's loving-kindness towards himself.

He found Downe in his office. When the solicitor comprehended the
intelligence he turned pale, stood up, and remained for a moment
perfectly still, as if bereft of his faculties; then his shoulders
heaved, he pulled out his handkerchief and began to cry like a child. His
sobs might have been heard in the next room. He seemed to have no idea
of going to the shore, or of doing anything; but when Barnet took him
gently by the hand and proposed to start at once, he quietly acquiesced,
neither uttering any further word nor making any effort to repress his
tears.

Barnet accompanied him to the shore, where, finding that no trace had as
yet been seen of Mrs. Downe, and that his stay would be of no avail, he
left Downe with his friends and the young doctor, and once more hastened
back to his own house.

At the door he met Charlson. 'Well!' Barnet said.

'I have just come down,' said the doctor; 'we have done everything, but
without result. I sympathize with you in your bereavement.'

Barnet did not much appreciate Charlson's sympathy, which sounded to his
ears as something of a mockery from the lips of a man who knew what
Charlson knew about their domestic relations. Indeed there seemed an odd
spark in Charlson's full black eye as he said the words; but that might
have been imaginary.

'And, Mr. Barnet,' Charlson resumed, 'that little matter between us--I
hope to settle it finally in three weeks at least.'

'Never mind that now,' said Barnet abruptly. He directed the surgeon to
go to the harbour in case his services might even now be necessary there:
and himself entered the house.

The servants were coming from his wife's chamber, looking helplessly at
each other and at him. He passed them by and entered the room, where