d drawer I
found the casket and a copy of _The Veiled Queen_. I read much in the
book. Every word I found there was in flat contradiction to my own
mode of thought.

Did the shock of this dreadful catastrophe drive Winifred from my
mind? No, nothing could have done that. My soul seemed, as I have
said, to be new-born, and all emotions, passions, and sentiments that
were not connected with her seemed to be shadowy and distant, like
ante-natal dreams. It would be hypocrisy not to confess this frankly,
regardless of the impression against me it may make on the reader's
mind. Yet I had a real affection for my father. In spite of his
extraordinary obliviousness of my very existence till the last year
of his life, I was strongly attached to him, and his death made me
see nothing but his virtues; yet my soul was so filled with my
passion for Winifred as to have but little room for sorrow. As to my
mother, her attachment to my father knew no bounds, and her grief at
her bereavement knew none.

A day or two before the funeral my uncle Aylwin of Alvanley arrived,
and his presence was a great comfort to her. Owing to my father's
position in the county a great deal of funereal state was considered
necessary, and there was much hurry and bustle.

My uncle having known Wynne when quite a young man, before
intemperance had degraded him, took an interest in him still. He had
called at the cottage as he passed along Wilderness Road towards
Raxton, and the result of this was that the organist came to speak to
him at our house upon some matter in connection with the funeral
service. My mother was greatly vexed at this. Her conduct on the
occasion alarmed me. Ever since Frank's death had made it evident not
only that I should succeed to all the property of my uncle Aylwin of
Alvanley, but that I might even succeed to something greater, to the
earldom which was the glory and pride of the Aylwins, my mother had
kept a jealous and watchful eye upon me, being, as I afterwards
learned, not unmindful of the early child-loves of Winifred and
myself; and the advent to Raxton of Winifred, as a beautiful tall
girl, had aroused her fears as well as her wrath.

The day of the funeral came, and the question of the casket and the
amulet was on my mind. The important thing, of course, was that the
matter should be kept absolutely secret. The valuables must be placed
in secrecy with the embalmed corpse at the last moment, before the
screwing down of