e sobbing? What is the matter with you,
child?" said Mrs. Marston, anxiously.

The girl checked herself, dried her eyes hastily, and walking briskly to
a little distance, as if engaged in arranging the chamber, she said, with
an affectation of carelessness--

"Oh, ma'am, it is nothing; nothing at all, indeed, ma'am."

Mrs. Marston remained silent for a time, while all her vague
apprehensions returned. Meantime the girl continued to shove the chairs
hither and thither, and to arrange and disarrange everything in the room
with a fidgety industry, intended to cover her agitation. A few minutes,
however, served to weary her of this, for she abruptly stopped, stood by
the bedside, and, looking at her mistress, burst into tears.

"Good God! What is it?" said Mrs. Marston, shocked and even terrified,
while new alarms displaced her old ones. "Is Miss Rhoda--can it be--is
she--is my darling well?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am," answered the maid, "very well, ma'am; she is up, and
out walking and knows nothing of all this."

"All what?" urged Mrs. Marston. "Tell me, tell me, Willett, what has
happened. What is it? Speak, child; say what it is?"

"Oh, ma'am! Oh my poor dear mistress!" continued the girl, and stopped,
almost stifled with sobs.

"Willett, you must speak; you must say what is the matter. I implore of
you--desire you!" urged the distracted lady. Still the girl, having made
one or two ineffectual efforts to speak, continued to sob.

"Willett, you will drive me mad. For mercy's sake, for God's sake,
speak--tell me what it is!" cried the unhappy lady.

"Oh, ma'am, it is--it is about the master," sobbed the girl.

"Why he can't--he has not--oh, merciful God! He has not hurt himself,"
she almost screamed.

"No, ma'am, no; not himself; no, no, but--" and again she hesitated.

"But what? Speak out, Willett; dear Willett have mercy on me, and speak
out," cried her wretched mistress.

"Oh, ma'am, don't be fretted; don't take it to heart, ma'am," said the
maid, clasping her hands together in anguish.

"Anything, anything, Willett; only speak at once," she answered.

"Well, ma'am, it is soon said--it is easy told. The master, ma'am--the
master is gone with the Frenchwoman; they went in the traveling coach
last night, ma'am; he is gone away with her, ma'am; that is all."

Mrs. Marston looked at the girl with a gaze of stupefied, stony terror;
not a muscle of her face moved; not one heaving respiration showed that
she was