s, is it not?"

Janetta turned and laid her hand in his with a look of bright and
trustful confidence. Somehow it made Wyvis Brand feel himself unworthy.
He said almost nothing more until they parted at Mr. Colwyn's door.

CHAPTER XIII.

SHADOWS.

But Janetta had not much chance of keeping her promise for some time to
come. She was alarmed to find, on her return home that evening, that her
father had come in sick and shivering, with all the symptoms of a
violent cold, followed shortly by high fever. He had caught a chill
during a long drive undertaken in order to see a motherless child who
had been suddenly taken ill, and in whose case he took a great interest.
The child rapidly recovered, but Mr. Colwyn's illness had a serious
termination. Pleurisy came on, and made such rapid inroads upon his
strength that in a very few days his recovery was pronounced impossible.
Gradually growing weaker and weaker, he was not able even to give
counsel or direction to his family, and could only whisper to Janetta,
who was his devoted nurse, a few words about "taking care" of the rest.

"I will always do my very best for them, father; you may be sure of
that," said Janetta, earnestly. The look of anxious pain in his eyes
gave her the strength to speak firmly--she must set his mind at ease at
any cost.

"My faithful Janet," she heard him whisper; and then he spoke no more.
With his hand still clasped in hers he died in the early morning of a
chill October day, and the world of Beaminster knew him no more.

The world seemed sadly changed for Janetta when her father had gone
forth from it; and yet it was not she who made the greatest
demonstration of mourning. Mrs. Colwyn passed from one hysterical fit
into another, and Nora sobbed herself ill; but Janetta went about her
duties with a calm and settled gravity, a sober tearlessness, which
caused her stepmother to dub her cold and heartless half a dozen times a
day. As a matter of fact the girl felt as if her heart were breaking,
but there was no one but herself to bear any of the commonplace little
burdens of daily life which are so hard to carry in the time of trouble;
and but for her thoughtful presence of mind the whole house would have
degenerated into a state of chaos. She wrote necessary letters, made
arrangements for the sad offices which were all that could be rendered
to her father now, interviewed the dressmaker, and ordered meals for the
children. It was to her