and stooped to kiss the slight offence away; but
she fancied that Blanche almost shrunk from her embrace.

"She must be really ill," thought the kindly little Bella, who had no
notion of such a thing as heart-sickness for an apparently happy married
woman. "She ought to see a doctor: I shall tell Colonel Damer so."

In another half-hour they were at her side together, urging her to take
their advice.

"Now, my darling," said the Colonel, when Mrs. Damer faintly protested
against being made a fuss about, "you must be good for my sake. You know
how precious you are to me, and how it would grieve me to have you laid
up; let me send for Dr. Barlow, as your cousin advises. You were very
much overcome by the long journey here, and I am afraid the subsequent
excitement of seeing your kind friends has been too much for you. You do
not half know how dear you are to me, Blanche, or you would not refuse
such a trifling request. Here have I been, for five years, dearest, only
looking forward from day to day to meeting my dear loving little wife
again; and then to have you so ill as this the first month of our
reunion, is a great trial to me. Pray let me send for Dr. Barlow."

But Mrs. Damer pleaded for delay. She had become chilled through being
out in the shrubberies; she had not yet got over the fatigue of her
journey; she had caught a cold whilst crossing from Havre to Folkestone:
it was anything and everything but an illness which required medical
attendance. If she were not better in the morning, she promised to make
no opposition to their wishes.

So she forced herself to rise and dress for dinner. She appeared there
calm and collected, and continued so throughout the evening, talking
with Mr. Laurence quite as much as with the rest of the company; and she
went to bed at the same hour as the other guests of Molton Grange,
receiving with her cousin's good-night, congratulations on the evident
improvement of her health.

"I cannot quite make out what has come to that cousin of yours, Bella,"
said Harry Clayton to his wife, as they too retired for the night; "she
doesn't appear half such a jolly woman as she used to be."

"She is certainly very much altered," was Mrs. Clayton's response; "but
I think it must be chiefly owing to her health; a feeling of debility is
so very depressing."

"I suppose it can't be anything on her mind, Bella?" suggested the
husband, after a pause.

"On her _mind_, Harry!" said Bella, sitting