ained very sad news from Bentley Hall.
Mr Lane had become so much worse during the week of his daughter's
absence, that her mother desired her to return as soon as she had paid a
hurried visit to her cousins in Somersetshire.

"I fear, cousin, we must not keep you with us longer," said Mr Norton,
kindly to Jane.

Mrs Jane was understood to sob that she must go on the next morning.
Too much overcome to remain, she left the hall, and went up to the
chamber of Mrs Norton, still with her handkerchief at her eyes. Jenny
followed her, going into her bedroom, which was near to that of the
hostess. She heard voices through the wall, accompanied by sounds which
rather puzzled her. Was Mrs Jane weeping? It sounded much more like
laughing. But how could anyone expect so devoted a daughter to have the
heart to laugh on this sad occasion?

When Mrs Jane came out of her cousin's room, she was apparently calm
and comforted. The handkerchief had disappeared; but considering the
bitter sobs she had heard, Jenny wondered that her eyes were not redder.

The journey was resumed, and they arrived safely at Trent Hall, the
residence of Colonel Wyndham, who was strolling about his grounds, and
met them as they came up to the house. Mrs Jane having alighted and
shaken hands with her cousin the Colonel, it astonished Jenny to see
Will Jackson go familiarly up as if to offer the same greeting.
Remembering himself in an instant, he slunk back as he had done before,
and took off his hat with a low bow. Colonel Wyndham, Jenny thought,
looked rather offended at Jackson's bad manners, dismissing him by a
nod, and calling one of his stable-men to see to him, while he took Mrs
Jane into the house. Jenny felt once again that Millicent must have
guessed rightly, and that Jackson had never been in service in a
gentleman's family before.

CHAPTER FOUR.

SUDDEN CHANGES.

Great was the lamentation among the cousins at Trent House, when it was
found that Mrs Jane could stay only two days with them, instead of the
two months upon which they had reckoned.

"I am the most to be pitied, Jane," said one of the young ladies, whose
name was Juliana Coningsby, "for I start for Lyme in a week hence, and I
had hoped to win you to accompany me thither. Now I know not what to do
for a convoy."

"Well, I cannot go, Gillian," was the answer, "yet may I help you at
this pinch. Take you my man as your guard; I can contrive without him,
since my goo