ne Blanche being
nervous at anything. It must have come on since her visit to the
Continent, for she was not so when she stayed here last."

"When was that?" demanded the Colonel, anxiously.

"Just three years ago this Christmas," was the answer. "I don't think I
ever saw her look better than she did then, and she was the life of the
house. But soon afterwards she went to Paris, and then we heard of her
illness, and this is my first meeting with her since that time. I was
very much shocked when she got out of the carriage: I should scarcely
have known her again." Here Mrs. Clayton stopped, seeing that the
attention of Mr. Laurence, who sat opposite to her, appeared to be
riveted on her words, and Colonel Damer relapsed into thought and spoke
no more.

In the meanwhile Mrs. Damer had gained her bedroom. Women had come to
attend upon her, sent by their mistress, and laden with offers of
refreshment and help of every kind, but she had dismissed them and
chosen to be alone. She felt too weak to be very restless, but she had
sat by the fire and cried, until she was so exhausted that her bed
suggested itself to her, as the best place in which she could be; but
rising to undress, preparatory to seeking it, she had nearly fallen, and
catching feebly at the bedpost had missed it, and sunk down by the side
of the solid black box, which was clamped with iron and fastened with a
padlock, and respecting which she had been so particular a few hours
before. She felt as if she was dying, and as if this were the fittest
place for her to die on. "There is nothing in my possession," she cried,
"that really belongs to me but _this_--this which I loathe and abhor,
and love and weep over at one and the same moment." And, strange to
relate, Mrs. Damer turned on her side and kneeling by the iron-clamped
chest pressed her lips upon its hard, unyielding surface, as if it had
life wherewith to answer her embrace. And then the wearied creature
dragged herself up again into an unsteady position, and managed to
sustain it until she was ready to lie down upon her bed.

The next morning she was much better. Colonel Damer and Bella Clayton
laid their heads together and decided that she was to remain in bed
until after breakfast, therefore she was spared meeting with the
assembled strangers until the dinner-hour again, for luncheon was a
desultory meal at Molton Chase, and scarcely any of the gentlemen were
present at it that day. After luncheon Mrs