this no time must be lost. Ermine
remained then alone with Rose, feeling the day strangely long and
lonely, and that, perhaps, its flatness might be a preparation for the
extinction of all the brightness that had of late come into her life.
Colin had said he would trust as she did, but those words had made her
aware that she must trust as he did. If he, with his clear sense and
kindly insight into Edward's character, became convinced that his
absence proceeded from anything worse than the mere fainthearted
indifference that would not wipe off a blot, then Ermine felt that his
judgment would carry her own along with it, and that she should lose her
undoubting faith in her brother's perfect innocence, and in that case
her mind was made up; Colin might say and do what he would, but she
would never connect him through herself with deserved disgrace. The
parting, after these months of intercourse and increased knowlege of one
another, would be infinitely more wretched than the first; but, cost her
what it would--her life perhaps--the break should be made rather than
let his untainted name be linked with one where dishonour justly
rested. But with her constant principle of abstinence from dwelling on
contingencies, she strove to turn away her mind, and to exert herself;
though this was no easy task, especially on so solitary a day as this,
while Alison was in charge at Myrtlewood in Lady Temple's absence, and
Rachel Curtis was reported far too ill to leave her room, so that Ermine
saw no one all day except her constant little companion; nor was it till
towards evening that Alison at length made her appearance, bringing a
note which Colin had sent home by Lady Temple.

All had so far gone well. Maria Hatherton had been committed to take her
trial at the quarter sessions for the assault upon the children; but, as
her own little girl was still living, though in extreme danger, and the
Sisters promised to take charge of both for the present, Colonel Keith
had thought it only common humanity to offer bail, and this had been
accepted. Later in the day Mauleverer himself had been brought down,
having been taken up at a grand meeting of his Bristol friends, who had
all rallied round him, expressing strong indignation at the accusation,
and offering evidence as to character. He denied any knowledge of the
name of Maddox, and declared that he was able to prove that his own
account of himself as a popular, philanthropical lecturer was p