ad arrived to find
that no provision had been made for her by Mr. Verner's will, as the
widow of Frederick Massingbird. Frederick's having succeeded to the
inheritance debarred her even of the five hundred pounds. It is true
there would be the rents, received for the short time it had been his.
There was no doubt that Sibylla, throughout the long voyage, had
cherished the prospect of finding a home at Verner's Pride. If her
husband had lived, it would have been wholly hers; she appeared still to
possess a right in it; and she never gave a thought to the possibility
that her aunt would not welcome her to it. Whether she cast a reflection
to Lionel Verner in the matter, she best knew: had she reflected
properly, she might have surmised that Lionel would be living at it, its
master. But, the voyage ended, the home gained, what did she find? That
Mrs. Verner was no longer at Verner's Pride, to press the kiss of
welcome upon her lips; a few feet of earth was all her home now.

It was a terrible disappointment. There could be no doubt of that. And
another disappointment was, to find Dr. West away. Sibylla's sisters had
been at times over-strict with her, much as they loved her, and the
vision of returning to her old home, to them, was one of bitterness. So
bitter, in fact, that she would not glance at its possibility.

Fatigued, low-spirited, feverishly perplexed, Sibylla did not know what
she could do. She was not in a state that night to give much care to the
future. All she hoped was, to stay in that haven until something else
could be arranged for her. Let us give her her due. Somewhat careless,
naturally, of the punctilios of life, it never occurred to her that it
might not be the precise thing for her to remain, young as she was, the
sole guest of Lionel Verner. Her voyage out, her residence in that very
unconventional place, Melbourne, the waves and storms which had gone
over her there in more ways than one, the voyage back again alone, all
had tended to give Sibylla Massingbird an independence of thought; a
contempt for the rules and regulations, the little points of etiquette
obtaining in civilised society. She really thought no more harm of
staying at Verner's Pride with Lionel, than she would have thought it
had old Mr. Verner been its master. The eyelashes, resting on her hot
cheeks, were wet, as she turned round when Lionel entered.

"Have you taken anything, Mrs. Massingbird?"

"No."

"But you should have d