Rustic seats were at pleasant
intervals, and, feeling a little tired, Mrs Shepherd sat down. She
could see the river's silver glinting through the branches, and,
beyond the river, the low-lying river lands, dotted with cattle and
horses grazing, dim already with blue evening vapours. In the warm
solitude of the wood the irreparable misfortune of her own life
pressed upon her: and in this hour of lassitude her loneliness seemed
more than she could bear. The Major was good and kind, but he knew
nothing of the weight of the burden he had laid upon her, and that
none should know was in this moment a greater weight than the burden
itself. Nellie was exploring the ancient hollows where Danes and
Saxons had once fought, and had ceased to call forth her discoveries
when Mrs Shepherd's bitter meditation was broken by the sudden sound
of a footstep.

The intruder was a young lady. She was dressed in white, her pale gold
hair was in itself an aristocracy, and her narrow slippered feet were
dainty to look upon. 'Don't let me disturb you,' she said. 'This is my
favourite seat; but I pray you not to move, there is plenty of room.'
So amiable was she in voice and manner that Mrs Shepherd could not
but remain, although she had already recognized the girl as one of
the Major's sisters. Fearing to betray herself, greatly nervous, Mrs
Shepherd answered briefly Miss Shepherd's allusions to the beauty of
the view. At the end of a long silence Miss Shepherd said--

'I think you know my brother, Major Shepherd.'

Mrs Shepherd hesitated, and then she said: 'No. I have never heard the
name.'

'Are you sure? Of course, I may be mistaken; but--'

Ethel made pause, and looked Mrs Shepherd straight in the face.
Smiling sadly, Mrs Shepherd said--

'Likenesses are so deceptive.'

'Perhaps, but my memory is pretty good for faces.... It was two or
three months ago, we were going up to London, and I saw my brother get
into the train with a lady who looked like you. She really was very
like you.'

Mrs Shepherd smiled and shook her head.

'I do not know the lady my brother was with, but I've often thought I
should like to meet her.'

'Perhaps your brother will introduce you.'

'No, I don't think he will. She has come to live at Branbury, and now
people talk more then ever. They say that he is secretly married.'

'And you believe it?'

'I don't see why it shouldn't be true. My brother is a good fellow in
many ways, but, like all other me