of the fortune which had
been left to Marian, and which gave her existence a new value, perhaps
exposed her to new dangers. Her husband's interests were involved in her
life; her death, should she die childless, must needs deprive him of all
advantage from Jacob Nowell's wealth. The only person to profit from such
an event would be Percival Nowell; but he was far away, Gilbert believed,
and completely ignorant of his reversionary interest in his father's
property. There was Medler the attorney, a man whom Gilbert had
distrusted from the first. It was just possible that the letter had been
from him; yet most improbable that he should have asked Mrs. Holbrook to
meet him out of doors, instead of coming to her at the Grange, or that
she should have acceded to such a request, had he made it.

The whole affair was encompassed with mystery, and Gilbert Fenton's heart
sank as he contemplated the task that lay before him.

"I shall spend a day or two in this neighbourhood before I return to
town," he said to Ellen Carley presently; "there are inquiries that I
should like to make with my own lips. I shall be only going over old
ground, I daresay, but it will be some satisfaction to me to do it for
myself. Can you give me house-room here for a night or two, or shall I
put up at Crosber?"

"I'm sure father would be very happy to accommodate you here, sir. We've
plenty of room now; too much for my taste. The house seems like a
wilderness now Mrs. Holbrook is gone."

"Thanks. I shall be very glad to sleep here. There is just the chance
that you may have some news for me, or I for you."

"Ah, sir, it's only a very poor chance, I'm afraid," the girl answered
hopelessly.

She went with Gilbert to the gate, and watched him as he walked away
towards the river. His first impulse was to follow the path which Marian
had taken that day, and to see for himself what manner of place it was
from which she had so mysteriously vanished.

CHAPTER XXVI.

IN BONDAGE.

Adela Branston found life very dreary in the splendid gloom of her town
house. She would have infinitely preferred the villa near Maidenhead for
the place of her occupation, had it not been for the fact that in London
she was nearer John Saltram, and that any moment of any day might bring
him to her side.

The days passed, however--empty useless days, frittered away in frivolous
occupations, or wasted in melancholy idleness; and John Saltram did not
come, or came so