ghter's at her
husband's farm, near Dessington, till such time as may be suitable
for Mrs. Prichard to return. This I do not wish to say because I
want to lose this old lady, for if your ladyship will pardon the
liberty I take in saying so, she is a dear old person, and I do in
truth love her, and am glad to have charge of her."

"She seems always to make conquests," said the Earl. "I acknowledge to
having been _epris_ myself."

"Yes, she really is an old darling. But go on and don't talk. It's what
comes next." She pointed out the place over his shoulder, and he took
the opportunity to rub his cheek against her arm, which she requited by
kissing the top of his head. He read on:

"Nor yet would my mother's return make any difference, for we could
accommodate, and I would take no other children just yet a while.
Toby goes home to-morrow. But I will tell you there is something,
and it is this, only your ladyship may be aware of it, that the old
lady has delusions and a strange turn to them, in which Dr. Nash
agrees with me it is more than old age, and recommends my mother,
being old too, not to come back till she goes, for it would not be
good for her, for anything of this sort is most trying to the
nerves, and my mother is eighty-one this Christmas, just old Mrs.
Prichard's own age."

"I think that's the end of the sentence," said the Earl. "I take it that
Nash, who's a very sharp fellow in his own line, is quite alive to the
influence of insanity on some temperaments, and knows old Mrs. Marrable
well enough to say she ought not to be in the way of a lunatic....
What's that?"

"A lunatic!" For Gwen had started and shuddered at the word.

"I see no use in mincing matters. That's what the good woman is driving
at. What comes next?" He read on:

"I will tell all what happened, my lady, from when she first
entered the house, asking pardon for my length. It began when I was
showing the toy water-mill on our mantel-shelf, which your ladyship
saw with Miss Grahame. I noticed she was very agitated, but did not
put it down to the sight of this toy till she said how ever could
it have been _my_ grandfather's mill, and then I only took it for
so many words, and got her away to bed, and would have thought it
only an upset, but for next morning, when I found her out of bed
before six, no one else being up bu