perations next month, and I shall then return home. I may
tell you that he was thinking of getting married shortly, but he and
Meta Seton have wisely settled to postpone it until he has a good
income. I believe myself that he will soon be a rich man. If he is, I
shall be well repaid for my journey out here. Love to all. Will write
again soon.

'Your affectionate sister,
'GWEN.'

CHAPTER XIII

His Last Message

I hold it true whate'er befall,
I feel it when I sorrow most:
''Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.'--_Tennyson._

This letter reached Agatha soon after the sad news had come to Clare of
Captain Knox's death. At first his relatives hoped there might be some
mistake, but when further details came to hand, they corroborated the
first tidings received, and some weeks after his baggage was sent home,
and as much information was given to his sorrowing relatives as could
be gleaned from the one or two survivors of the fated party.

His mother wrote kindly to Clare, and gave her as much information as
she had herself received, but that was not much. The little party had
been surprised one day when out surveying, and were shot down one after
the other by an unfriendly tribe who surrounded them. Two escaped to
tell the tale, but when a punitive force was sent out at once, there
were no signs of the fray. The enemy had carried off the bodies of
their victims, and escaped beyond the reach of justice.

For days Clare was almost beside herself with grief, and in despair
Agatha sent over for Miss Villars.

'She is so fond of you, that you may be able to comfort her as we
cannot,' said Agatha, when Miss Villars promptly arrived on the scene.
Miss Villars shook her head sadly.

'No human comfort is of much use in a case like this,' she said; but
she went upstairs, and remained two hours with Clare, and when she left
Clare begged her to come to her again.

'You do me good. You make me think there is a God, after all. I have
been doubting everything. I feel it is a judgment on all my discontent
and bad temper. I often used to tire of him, and wish he were
different; and now I feel it would be heaven itself to see him standing
before me as he used to do!'

To her sisters Clare preserved a stolid, impassive demeanour. She
would not leave the house for three weeks after the tidings had come,
and then unfortunately meeting Miss Miller, she was subjected