o persuasion--grew more and more difficult to
restrain, and became at last almost imbecile from the pressure of her
secret upon her mind. Flossy had begun seriously to consider the
expediency of inducing Sabina to consign her mother to a lunatic asylum,
or even to employ violent means for the shortening of her days on
earth--there was nothing at which her soul would have revolted if her
own prosperity could have been secured by it; but Mrs. Meldreth's
natural illness and death removed all necessity for extreme measures.

Nothing indeed would have been more fortunate for Flossy and her
accomplice than Mrs. Meldreth's death, had it not been for the
circumstance that the dying woman had seen both Enid Vane and Mr.
Evandale during her last moments. Flossy wondered angrily why Sabina had
been so foolish as to admit them. She had heard nothing from Enid, who
had kept her room for a couple of days after her return from Mrs.
Meldreth's death-bed; but she was certain that something was now known
to the girl which had not been known before. Flossy had tried to
question her, to reprove her even for going into the houses of the sick
poor; but there had been a look in the girl's eyes, a frozen defiance
and horror in her face, which made Mrs. Vane shrink back aghast. Though
silent and not very demonstrative in manner, Enid had hitherto never
shown any dislike to Flossy, and had been as scrupulously attentive to
her wishes as if she were still a child; but these days of passive
obedience were past. Enid now quietly did what she chose. She seldom
spoke to Florence at all; and on several occasions she had maintained
her own purpose and choice with a calmness and steadfastness which had
almost terrified Mrs. Vane. Who would have thought that Enid had a
character? The girl had emancipated herself from all control, without
words, without open rebellion; she had looked Flossy straight in the
face once or twice, and Flossy had been compelled to yield.

Yes, Enid knew something--she was sure of that; how much she could not
tell. She had never questioned Sabina Meldreth in person about the scene
at her mother's death-bed--on principle, Flossy spared herself all
painful and exciting interviews; but she had had a few lines from
Sabina--sent to Beechfield Hall on the day of her mother's funeral.

"Miss Vane knows something--I don't know how much," Sabina had written.
"The parson wanted to know, but couldn't get to hear. Maybe Miss Vane
has told