would have been found to attach itself to Captain Marrable,
rather than to the two men who were ill; and this was tacitly allowed
to have an influence. Aunt Sarah had expressed her belief that
Gregory Marrable was dying; and had gone on to say,--trusting to the
known fact that Mary had engaged herself to Mr. Gilmore, and to the
fact, as believed to be a fact, that Walter was engaged to Edith
Brownlow,--had gone on to say that Captain Marrable would probably
remain at Dunripple, and would take immediate charge of the estate.
"I think there is no doubt," said Aunt Sarah, "that Captain Marrable
and Edith Brownlow will be married." Mary was engaged to Mr. Gilmore,
and why should not Aunt Sarah tell her news?

The Squire, who had become elated and happy at the period of the
rubies, had, in three days, again fallen away into a state of angry
gloom, rather than of melancholy. He said very little just now either
to Fenwick or to Mrs. Fenwick about his marriage; and, indeed, he did
not say very much to Mary herself. Men were already at work about
the gardens at the Privets, and he would report to her what was done,
and would tell her that the masons and painters would begin in a few
days. Now and again he would ask for her company up to the place; and
she had been there twice at his instance since the day on which she
had gone after him of her own accord, and had fetched him down to
look at the jewels. But there was little or no sympathy between them.
Mary could not bring herself to care about the house or the gardens,
though she told herself again and again that there was she to live
for the remainder of her life.

Two letters she received from her aunt at Loring within an interval
of three days, and these letters were both filled with details as to
the illness of Sir Gregory and his son, at Dunripple. Walter Marrable
sent accounts to his uncle, the parson, and Mrs. Brownlow sent
accounts to Miss Marrable herself. And then, on the day following the
receipt of the last of these two letters, there came one from Walter
Marrable himself, addressed to Mary Lowther. Gregory Marrable was
dead, and the letter announcing the death of the baronet's only son
was as follows:--

Dunripple, August 12, 1868.

MY DEAR MARY,

I hardly know whether you will have expected that the news
which I have to tell you should reach you direct from me;
but I think, upon the whole, that it is better that I
should write. My cousin,