f wind, or veritable extinguishers, fastened to
long sticks, and coming from nobody knew where, put out taper after taper
as fast as they were lighted.

"You will come home with us," said Mrs. Forbes. "I can only offer you
cold meat with tea; our cook is gone out, this being a universal festa;
but we cannot part with an old friend for any scruples as to the
commissariat."

"Thank you. I should have invited myself if you had not been good enough
to ask me."

When they had all arrived at their apartment in the Babuino (Canon
Livingstone had gone round to fetch the letters with which he was
entrusted), Mrs. Forbes was confirmed in her supposition that he had
something particular and not very pleasant to say to Ellinor, by the
rather grave and absent manner in which he awaited her return from taking
off her out-of-door things. He broke off, indeed, in his conversation
with Mrs. Forbes to go and meet Ellinor, and to lead her into the most
distant window before he delivered her letters.

"From what you said in the balcony yonder, I fear you have not received
your home letters regularly?"

"No!" replied she, startled and trembling, she hardly knew why.

"No more has Miss Monro heard from you; nor, I believe, has some one else
who expected to hear. Your man of business--I forget his name."

"My man of business! Something has gone wrong, Mr. Livingstone. Tell
me--I want to know. I have been expecting it--only tell me." She sat
down suddenly, as white as ashes.

"Dear Miss Wilkins, I'm afraid it is painful enough, but you are fancying
it worse than it is. All your friends are quite well; but an old
servant--"

"Well!" she said, seeing his hesitation, and leaning forwards and griping
at his arm.

"Is taken up on a charge of manslaughter or murder. Oh! Mrs. Forbes,
come here!"

For Ellinor had fainted, falling forwards on the arm she had held. When
she came round she was lying half undressed on her bed; they were giving
her tea in spoonfuls.

"I must get up," she moaned. "I must go home."

"You must lie still," said Mrs. Forbes, firmly.

"You don't know. I must go home," she repeated; and she tried to sit up,
but fell back helpless. Then she did not speak, but lay and thought.
"Will you bring me some meat?" she whispered. "And some wine?" They
brought her meat and wine; she ate, though she was choking. "Now,
please, bring me my letters, and leave me alone; and after that I should
like to speak to