its to the cottage, busy at work in
her garden, which was much smaller than the Captain's, but he had never
spoken to her before to-day.

She was a maiden lady, who eked out her slender income by letting a part
of her miniature abode whenever an opportunity for so doing occurred. The
care of this cottage occupied all her days, and formed the delight and
glory of her life. It was a little larger than a good-sized doll's house,
and furnished with spindle-legged chairs and tables that had been
polished to the last extremity of brightness.

"Perhaps you would be so good as to walk into my sitting-room for a few
moments, sir," said this lady, opening her garden-gate. "I shall be most
happy to afford you any information about your friends."

"You are very good," said Gilbert, following her into the prim little
parlour.

He had recovered his self-possession in some degree by this time, telling
himself that this desertion of Hazel Cottage involved no more than a
change of residence.

"My name is Dodd," said the lady, motioning Mr. Fenton to a chair, "Miss
Letitia Dodd. I had the pleasure of seeing you very often during your
visits next door. I was not on visiting terms with Captain Sedgewick and
Miss Nowell, although we bowed to each other out of doors. I am only a
tradesman's daughter--indeed my brother is now carrying on business as a
butcher in Fairleigh--and of course I am quite aware of the difference in
our positions. I am the last person to intrude myself upon my superiors."

"If you will be so kind as to tell me where they have gone?" Gilbert
asked, eager to stop this formal statement of Miss Dodd's social
standing.

"Where _they_ have gone!" she repeated. "Dear, dear! Then you do not
know----"

"I do not know what?"

"Of Captain Sedgewick's death."

"Good God! My dear old friend! When did he die?"

"At the beginning of the year. It was very sudden--a fit of apoplexy. He
was seized in the night, poor dear gentleman, and it was only discovered
when the servant went to call him in the morning. He only lived two days
after the seizure; and never spoke again."

"And Miss Nowell--what made her leave the cottage? She is still at
Lidford, I suppose?"

"O dear no, Mr. Fenton. She went away altogether about a month after the
Captain's death."

"Where did she go?"

"I cannot tell you that, I did not even know that she intended leaving
Hazel Cottage until the day after she left. When I saw the shutters
closed