le
word of comfort or encouragement from me. What annoyances she might
already have suffered from the lawyers. I was expecting my doctor
every moment, and I had determined to ask his permission to start
immediately for Zutphen, when I heard some one coming up the stairs,
whom my landlady was endeavouring to call back, she being very strict
about my being kept quiet. But, in spite of all her efforts, Rolf
burst into the room--Rolf, whom I had ended by loving almost as much
as I detested him the first few days of our acquaintance.

"My General is dead," he said, with tears in his eyes--"died in my
arms. Francis is gone----"

"She is not ill, however?" I interrupted quickly.

"Not in the least, she is in excellent health; but--she has turned
me out of the Werve."

"What do you say?"

"Oh, it was not done in anger or malice; but because she herself will
be forced to leave the Castle very soon. In fact, she has already
hired a room at farmer Pauwelsen's; but she will tell nobody what
she intends to do."

"But tell me all the particulars of the General's death."

"Well, the General had not the courage to resist her, and write to
Overberg in the sense you advised him. And as everything was vague and
uncertain because of your answering nobody's letters, the lawyers lost
patience; and Overberg, egged on, I believe, by that quill-driver in
Utrecht, wrote to Freule Mordaunt to know for certain whether or not
she was engaged to you. You will guess her answer, short and dry,
but without a word of reproach as far as you were concerned, I can
assure you. I know she reproaches herself bitterly, and has done so
since the day you left, as I told you would be the case."

"Even after she had received the packet from me?"

"She never received anything from you."

"That's very surprising!"

"No, it's not at all surprising, for everything was in the utmost
confusion with us from the fatal Friday you left----But I see this
is sherry, may I help myself?"

"Certainly, Captain; I beg your pardon, I ought to have thought of
asking you sooner."

"Well, then, after you were gone she fainted. Such a thing never
happened to her before within my knowledge. I felt almost ashamed
of her; but she loved you so much, as she later confessed to me
weeping! When she came to herself again, and whilst, as we thought, she
was reposing in her own room, she had stealthily gone off to the farm,
ordered Tancredo to be saddled, and ridden away at ful