ery old
to Marian, long before her own birth.

It was not till very late that she consented to leave the old man's side
and go to the room which had been got ready for her, to lie down for an
hour. She would not hear of any longer rest though the humble widow was
quite pathetic in her entreaties that the dear young lady would try to
get a good night's sleep, and would leave the care of Mr. Nowell to her,
who knew his ways, poor dear gentleman, and would watch over him as
carefully as if he had been her own poor husband, who kept his bed for a
twelvemonth before he died, and had to be waited on hand and foot. Marian
told this woman that she did not want rest. She had come to town on
purpose to be with her grandfather, and would stay with him as long as he
needed her care.

She did, however, consent to go to her room for a little in the early
November dawn, when Jacob Nowell had fallen into a profound sleep; but
when she did lie down, sleep would not come to her. She could not help
listening to every sound in the opposite room--the falling of a cinder,
the stealthy footfall of the watcher moving cautiously about now and
then; listening still more intently when all was silent, expecting every
moment to hear herself summoned suddenly. The sick-room and the dark
shadow of coming death brought back the thought of that bitter time when
her uncle was lying unconscious and speechless in the pretty room at
Lidford, with the wintry light shining coldly upon his stony face; while
she sat by his pillow, watching him in hopeless silent agony, waiting for
that dread change which they had told her was the only change that could
come to him on earth. The scene re-acted itself in her mind to-night,
with all the old anguish. She shut it out at last with a great effort,
and began to think of what her grandfather had said to her.

She was to be rich. She who had been a dependant upon others all her life
was to know the security and liberty that must needs go along with
wealth. She was glad of this, much more for her husband's sake than her
own. She knew that the cares which had clouded their life of late, which
had made him seem to love her less than he had loved her at first, had
their chief origin in want of money. What happiness it would be for her
to lift this burden from his life, to give him peace and security for the
years to come! Her thoughts wandered away into the bright region of
day-dreams after this, and she fancied what thei