n this daughter.
Seeing the mother and child together in this supreme hour, no onlooker
could have divined that these two had been ever less fondly united than
mother and child should be. The feeble and fading woman seemed to lean
on the strong bright girl, to gain a reflected strength from her
fulness of life and vigour. It was as if Vixen, with her shining hair
and fair young face, brought healthful breezes into the sickly perfumed
atmosphere of the invalid's rooms.

Roderick Vawdrey had a hard time of it during these days of sadness and
suspense. He could not deny the right of his betrothed to devote all
her time and thought to a dying mother; and yet, having but newly won
her for his very own, after dreary years of constraint and severance,
he longed for her society as lover never longed before; or at least he
thought so. He hung about the Abbey House all day, heedless of the
gloomy looks he got from Captain Winstanley, and of the heavy air of
sadness that pervaded the house, and was infinitely content and happy
when he was admitted to Mrs. Winstanley's boudoir to take an afternoon
cup of tea, and talk for half-an-hour or so, in subdued tones, with
mother and daughter.

"I am very glad that things have happened as they have, Roderick," Mrs.
Winstanley said languidly; "though I'm afraid it would make your poor
mamma very unhappy if she could know about it. She had so set her heart
on your marrying Lady Mabel."

"Forgetting that it was really my heart which was concerned in the
business," said Rorie. "Dear Mabel was wise enough to show us all the
easiest way out of our difficulties. I sent her my mother's emerald
cross and earrings, the day before yesterday, with as pretty a letter
as I could write. I think it was almost poetical."

"And those emeralds of Lady Jane Vawdrey's are very fine," remarked
Mrs. Winstanley. "I don't think there is a feather in one of the
stones."

"It was almost like giving away your property, wasn't it, Vixen?" said
Rorie, looking admiringly at his beloved. "But I have a lot of my
mother's jewels for you, and I wanted to send Mabel something, to show
her that I was not ungrateful."

"You acted very properly, Rorie; and as to jewellery, you know very
well I don't care a straw for it."

"It is a comfort to me to know you will have Lady Jane's pearl
necklace," murmured Mrs. Winstanley. "It will go so well with my
diamond locket. Ah, Rorie, I wish I had been strong enough to see to
Vio