couch, her eyes closed, her breath fluttering faintly. She wondered if
she was afraid to die. She herself had a secret girlish terror of death
and its strange solemness, and she so pitied Dolly that sometimes she
could not contain her grief, and was obliged to hide herself until her
tears spent themselves.

She had been crying during all this twilight hour she had knelt at the
window. She was so lonely that it seemed impossible to do anything else.
It would have been bad enough to bear the suspense even if Aimee had
been with her, but without Aimee it was dreadful. The tears slipped down
her cheeks and rolled away, and she did not even attempt to dry them,
her affectionate grief had mastered her completely. But she was roused
at length. Some one crossed the street from the pavement opposite the
house; and when this some one entered the gate and ascended the steps,
she rose slowly, half-reluctant, half-comforted, and with a faint
thrill at her heart. It was Ralph Gowan, and she was not wise enough or
self-controlled enough yet to see Ralph Gowan without feeling her pulses
quicken.

When she opened the door he did not greet her as usual, but spoke to her
at once in a low, hurried tone.

"Mollie, where is Aimee?" he asked.

Her tears began to flow again; she could not help giving way.

"You had better come in," she said, half turning away from him and
speaking brokenly. "Aimee is not here. She left London three days ago.
Dolly--"

"Dolly is worse!" he said, because she could not finish.

She nodded, with a heart too full for words.

He stepped inside, and, closing the door, laid his hand upon her
shoulder.

"Then, Mollie," he said, "I must come to you."

He did not wait a moment, but led her gently enough into the parlor,
and, blinded as she was by her tears, she saw that instant that he had
not come without a reason.

"Don't cry," he said. "I want you to be brave and calm now,--for Dolly's
sake. I want your help,--for Dolly's sake, remember."

She recollected Aimee's words--"Mr. Gowan has seen him"--and a sudden
light flashed upon her. The tears seemed to dry of their own accord all
at once, as she looked up.

"Yes," she answered.

He knew, without hearing another word, that he might trust her.

"Can you guess whom I have just this moment seen?" he said.

"Yes," sprang from her lips, without a second's hesitation. "You have
seen Grif."

"I have seen Grif," he answered. "He is at the corner of the st