found an impression upon her. Having tucked Baba safely into her cot, and heard the soft breathing which indicated that the blue-eyed baby was

of the story. The strange piece of real life into which she had been unwittingly plunged, interested her far more than any heroes or heroines of fiction, and s

face, and that silent valley." Remembering the silence in the valley, she shuddered a little, and wondered whether the lady of the unfathom

rom this point her reflections passed on to subsequent events of the day: to her own audacious stopping of the big motor; to the grey-eyed man whose failure to recognise her had given her just a tiny pang of regret; to the blue-eye

arning my own living-I-am still a woman." She drew up her head with a proud gesture characteristic of her, and then her

ct her, and a woman might put her whole trust in him; so she might in-that other!" Rupert's face rose again before her mental vision, and she wondered as she had wo

" She leant back in her chair, her book still upon her knee, her eyes seeing many pictures in the coals-pictures in which a man with a rugged face, and kind grey eyes, seemed to be continually walking beside a tall lady with a beautiful white face, and eyes of unf

you hear nohow, knock as I might. There's a gentleman in a m

Christina asked, feeling that she m

red, and Christina, a faint hope stirring at her heart that Lady Cicely's cousin might have come to ask her about

e said, with no other preamble. "I have been to the

I help?" Ch

house, and stay there for the night, w

is out of the question. I am here in charge of a little

the house?" Fergusson asked imperiously;

poke in low voices; perhaps some of the mystery of the l

y little charge's mother, has trusted me so entirely, I s

at the house I have just left, but it is plain that there is some vital need for secrecy. I can't possibly send a woman from the

he cloak she had snatched from its peg as she came to the door, "and I would gladly-oh,

efore your little charge is ready for you in the morning. It is vitally necessary that someone

said wistfully; and at her words, Dr. Fergusson

tances as it is necessary she should know, and I have no doubt she will come to the rescue. Go and fetch whatever you

e, Christina obediently did his bidding, and when she returned to

me there's a poor lady in great trouble, and that you could comfort her by sitting up with her a bit. Why, I'll sleep

ly unpleasant. So dominating was the personality of the man who sat beside her, that she was convinced he was only doing what was right in whirling her away with him through the darkness; and his brown eyes were so steadfast, so reliable,

things in the house to which we a

ina questioned; "the lady said

ing I was only just in time to save her from being mur

ina exclaime

in one of the rooms I found the lady of whom you have been speaking, in the grip of a madwoman, lighting for her life. My God! I was only just in time. It seems

na broke off with a shudder, but Fe

o drive her over to-night to the nearest asylum. But I must take the servant

who was ill," Christina said; "she

nly the madwoman

stina said, with bewilderment in her voic

on the lady of the house is most anxious to keep her whereabouts hidden from the world. And-when one looks at her, one feels it

flected shrewdly; and, for the rest of the way, spent he

oms. The door of one of these stood wide open, a stream of light from it flooded the landing, and the doctor, tapping gently on the door, entered, Christina following him half fearfully, dreading what she might see. But no dreadful sight met her gaze. She saw only a simply-furnished bedroom, and in the bed, propped up by pillows, and with her face

clinging clasp; "how very good of you. I think I should really have been q

remained unfinished; "certainly not. Now, see

o say so, but I don't kn

" she a

h this lady, see that she takes some food through the

roke from the w

ll promise-to try and keep my mind at rest-as far as possible," she added under her

sson answered grimly, "and I will bring your servant back

as the quiet answer; "she is more than serva

d now I must go and get that poor soul away; and Miss Moore will kee

d him, and carrying with him some of the sense of health-giving stren

ves of the woman she had come to tend, were already stretched to breaking point, and that a normal manner, and

rolled the dressing-gown she had brought with her, and was proceeding

en they have gone. Tell me

from the fire

off from the gate?" she a

be locked behind them now." Her voice rose in feverish excitement, her hands moved restlessly on the she

ry gently, her hand stroking the restlessly moving ha

impatient. "Only go-go down no

way as she heard a sound of voices and footsteps coming from the cor

him emerge slowly into the hall, walking backwards, and holding an inanimate woman's head and shoulders in his arms. Holding her feet, bearing half the burden of her unconsci

ht-now then. Ah! the lantern," he exclaimed; "w

lously, but running down the stairs without delay. "I was sent

herself at the head of the strange little procession, lighting their footsteps as well as she was able. It was no easy task to lift the unfortunate creature, first through the green door, and then into

into the garden, locking and bolting the door with trembling fingers, and running up the dark path as though all the powers of evil were at her heels. The front door of

se, and what are you afraid of?" But for all her attempt at courage, as she flew up the stai

her ears directly she entered the bedroom upstairs, and the dark eyes of

re, and we shall be quite cosy in this nice warm room." Christina spoke cheerfully, all trace of her own nervous fea

e-- Can I trust you?" She pulled herself bolt upright in the bed, and looked fixed

won't you?" Christina said soothingly, with a startled

re is no help for that. Marion has done her work well, though, poor soul! she did no

tent only on quieting her at any cost;

ther

d door on the left; and ask-my-the person who is there if there is anything he n

ed a look, that Christina bent over her, too anxious about her we

together in a frown; "only go to him-and do what he ne

s she going to find in that third room on the left? And why was there a necessity for all this secrecy? Her heart beat very fast, so fast that it nearly suffocated her, a

ed in a thick dressing-gown, and seated in an armchair by the fire, was a man whose cadaverous face and sunken eyes seemed to show recent re

ked; "why have you c

faint foreign accent in his words

but she is-very tired." She substituted that word for "ill," when she saw how the sick

difficult to think that Madge can be tired. She used to be

y at Christina; she felt compell

uttering the words a remorseful remembrance smote her of the fragile wh

't help feeling-that it is my fault-all my fault. First, the old trouble; and then, my coming back to burden-- But you are a strang

must be the kindly-faced servant, and anxious to c

riend; and you may be quite sure that I shall never spea

an, breaking off again, and lo

I came here just for to-night, to help-beca

in, exhausted by illness, refused to work with any rapidity, being ready enough to accept whatever was put

ristina asked brightly; "try to look upon me as-as Elizabet

ed to her aga

slight figure in its neat green gown-the girlish face, the eager eyes

s Elizabeth," she said, ignoring the su

if you would further be good enough to bring me from next door some milk, and whatever other eatables Elizabeth has prepared for me, I shall

s taxed to the utmost to support his weight, when he leant heavily upon her shoulder. He was considerably taller than he had looked when sitting in the chair; and he was so weak, and apparently so crippled, that his progress across the room was a slow and painful one. Short though the transit was from chair to bed, his breath came fast as he sank down

and looking at Christina with a smile that gave his fa

you?" Christina asked, still t

ee if I am all right-just to console Madge," he a

uestions poured out in a torrent from the lips of the white-faced woman in the other room, when Christina

ything that happened. I am sure he could have heard nothing," she added earnestly; "he is going to

kered over t

ppened to hurt him; I could not bear it." The passion in her voice brought a lump into

e unable to cope with a grief and passion so intense, could only stand silently by the bed, h

oman's dark eyes rested tenderly, almost sadly, on Christina's face. "You don't know what it means, to care so much for a man that-no matter

o her mind the vision of a rugged face, and two grey eyes full

if I judge your eyes aright. Nature did not give you those eyes, and that face for nothing. I wonder--" the woman's glance sudden

tina answered quickly; and the other, though she smiled, s

he presence of the sick man in the house, went to visit the room along the passage. The patient there was now in bed, an

stronger than before; "don't let her worry about me. She must r

she was ignorant, and about whom hung a mystery, the nature of which was unknown to her, she felt as though she had become part

le, sometimes looking dreamily at the flickering flames. In accordance with the doctor's orders, she occasionally fed her patient, who, though very wide-awake, spoke but little during the long nigh

tching girl any of the strange happenings in this strange house. But when the grey light of

ake care of me like this. I wonder whether you are

d not thi

of a stranger, I am going to ask you still-to take me-on trust. I have no

o reply, but she went to the bedside, and gently touche

ace of people who make good friends. I have another-good friend in the world, but he-will

ll me you have done nothing wrong; I know it. Nobody who looked into your

ry, but not now-not now. And you-you will keep silence-about-everything here?" Th

ina answered solemnly, stooping for the second