. Still it was a comfort to
her to think that she had that little room to retire to when Hubert
should recover consciousness; and till then she did not care where or
how she lived.

Sabina found little to report to Mrs. Vane, who had now returned to
Beechfield. Cynthia went nowhere, and received neither visitors nor
letters. She had been interviewed by the police-officials; but they had
not been able to get any information from her. As for Andrew Westwood,
he seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth; and some of
the authorities at Scotland Yard went so far as to say that the report
made to them of his discovery must have been either an illusion of the
fancy or pure invention on the part of Sabina Meldreth and Mrs. Vane.

CHAPTER XLII.

Enid's conscience was not at rest. During her interviews with Mr.
Evandale she was inclined to think that he knew everything, understood
everything--even the difference between right and wrong--better than she
herself knew and understood it; but when he was away her heart failed
her. What if Hubert cared for her all the time? Would she not then be
doing him a grievous wrong by forgetting that she had promised to marry
him when she was twenty-one? The General's opposition to her engagement
would probably vanish like a dream when she was a little older, if she
and Hubert showed any inclination to each other. There was no real
reason why they should not marry; and Hubert knew that. And what would
he say when he heard that she had weakly fallen in love with another
man, and wanted to break her word to himself?

Enid shrank back and blushed with shame at the prospect before her. It
was all very well for Maurice to say that she must not sacrifice
herself; but was it not a woman's duty to sacrifice herself for the good
of others? She said so to Maurice; and his answer was very ready.

"For the good of others? But do you think it is for Hubert's good to
marry a woman who does not love him, and especially if it is a woman
whom he does not love?"

"Ah, if I could only be sure of that!" sighed Enid.

She was not long left in doubt. The General could not keep a secret;
and, as soon as he and his wife returned to Beechfield, Enid felt that
something was wrong--something which concerned herself. Flossy was very
quiet; she eyed Enid strangely once or twice, but she did not tell her
about the events of the past week. It was the General who sighed over
her, petted her, kissed