iously. "I wonder what Silverbridge has got to say about
the Brake Hunt." Then she opened her letter.

"Oh;--oh!" she exclaimed,--"Frank has killed himself."

"Killed himself! Not that. It is not so bad as that."

"You had heard it before?"

"How is he, Mary?"

"Oh, heavens! I cannot read it. Do you read it. Tell me all. Tell me
the truth. What am I to do? Where shall I go?" Then she threw up her
hands, and with a loud scream fell on her knees with her head upon
the chair. In the next moment Mrs. Finn was down beside her on the
floor. "Read it; why do you not read it? If you will not read it,
give it to me."

Mrs. Finn did read the letter, which was very short, but still giving
by no means an unfavourable account of the patient. "I am sorry
to say he has broken ever so many bones, and we were very much
frightened about him." Then the writer went into details, from which
a reader who did not read the words carefully might well imagine that
the man's life was still in danger.

Mrs. Finn did read it all, and did her best to comfort her friend.
"It has been a bad accident," she said, "but it is clear that he is
getting better. Men do so often break their bones, and then seem to
think nothing of it afterwards."

"Silverbridge says it was his fault. What does he mean?"

"I suppose he was riding too close to Mr. Tregear, and that they came
down together. Of course it is distressing, but I do not think you
need make yourself positively unhappy about it."

"Would you not be unhappy if it were Mr. Finn?" said Mary, jumping
up from her knees. "I shall go to him. I should go mad if I were to
remain here and know nothing about it but what Silverbridge will tell
me."

"I will telegraph to Mr. Finn."

"Mr. Finn won't care. Men are so heartless. They write about each
other just as though it did not signify in the least whether anybody
were dead or alive. I shall go to him."

"You cannot do that."

"I don't care now what anybody may think. I choose to be considered
as belonging to him, and if papa were here I would say the same." It
was of course not difficult to make her understand that she could not
go to Harrington, but it was by no means easy to keep her tranquil.
She would send a telegram herself. This was debated for a long time,
till at last Lady Mary insisted that she was not subject to Mrs.
Finn's authority. "If papa were here, even then I would send it." And
she did send it, in her own name, regardless of th