the renunciation in favour of Mark was no
longer practicable.

The residence at Redcastle was not over, but the Canoness had come to
nurse her sister-in-law, and kept up the correspondence. The son and
heir was reported to be a perfect specimen, and his father was greatly
elated and delighted, but the letters showed anxiety about the mother,
who did not get on as she ought, and seemed to have no power of rally
about her. At length came a letter that seemed to burn itself into
Nuttie's brain--

'My Dear Ursula--Your mother is longing to see you. You had better
come home directly. Your aunt saved her before. Tell her if she will
come, she shall have my deepest gratitude. I shall send to meet the
5.11 train.--Your affectionate father,

A. P. EGREMONT.'

Mrs. William Egremont wrote at more length. Symptoms had set in which
filled the doctors and nurses with double anxiety. Advice had been
sent for from London, and Mr. Egremont was in an uncontrollable state
of distress. She had undertaken to summon Ursula home, and to beg Miss
Headworth to undertake the journey. She evidently did not know that
her brother-in-law had written himself, and before they could start a
telegram terrified them, but proved to contain no fresh tidings, only a
renewed summons.

Miss Headworth forgot all her resolutions about Mr. Egremont's
hospitality--her Alice was her only thought, and all the remedies that
had been found efficacious at Dieppe. The good lady had a certain
confidence in her own nursing and experience of Alice, which buoyed her
up with hope, while Ursula seemed absolutely stunned. She had never
thought of such a frightful loss or grief, and her mental senses were
almost paralysed, so that she went through the journey in a kind of
surface trance, observing all around her much as usual, looking out for
the luggage and for the servant who had come to meet them with the
report 'No change.' She did the honours of the carriage, and covered
Miss Headworth with the fur rug. They wanted it, for they were
shivering with anxiety.

Canon Egremont came out to the front hall to meet them, and put his
arms round Nuttie tenderly, saying, 'My poor dear child!' then as he
saw he had frightened them, 'No, no! She is alive--conscious they say,
only so very weak.' Then with something of his usual urbane grace, he
held out his hand, 'Miss Headworth, it is very good in you to come.
You have