"Heavens! what a face and what eyes she turned upon me as, rising, she
once more pointed to the door, and cried, 'Go!' And indeed I went,--the
girl actually frightened me.

"When I got on to the lawn, I missed my bag and parasol, and had to
return for them. I opened the door with some slight trepidation, but had
no need for fear. She was lying prostrate upon the floor, as I saw on
coming near, in a dead faint. She had evidently fallen so suddenly and
with such force as to have hurt herself; her head had struck against an
ornament of the bookcase, near which she had been standing; and a little
stream of blood was trickling from her temple. It made me sick to behold
it. As I looked at her where she lay, I could not but pity her a little,
and think what a merciful fate it would be for her, and such as she, if
they could all die,--and so put an end to what, I presume, though I
never before thought of it, is really a very hard existence.

"It was no time, however, to sentimentalize. I rang for a servant, and,
having waited till one came, took my leave.

"Of course all this is very shocking and painful, but I am glad I came.
The matter is ended now in a satisfactory manner. I think it has been
well done. Let us both keep our counsel, and the affair will soon
become a memory with us, as it is nothing with every one else.

"Always your loving sister,

"AUGUSTA."

* * * * *

It is better to be silent upon some themes than to say too little. Words
would fail to express the emotions with which Willie read this history:
let silence and imagination tell the tale.

Flinging down the paper with a passionate cry, he saw yet another
letter,--the one in which these had been enfolded,--a letter written to
him, and by Mrs. Russell. As by a flash, he perceived that there had
been some blunder here, by which he was the gainer; and, partly at
least, comprehended it.

These two, mother and aunt, fearing the old fire had not yet burned to
ashes,--nay, from their knowledge of him, sure of it,--hearing naught of
his illness, for he did not care to distress them by any account
thereof, were satisfied that he had either met, or was remaining to
compass a meeting, with Miss Ercildoune. His mother had not the courage,
or the baseness, to write such a letter as that to which Mrs. Russell
urged her,--a letter which should degrade his love in his own eyes, and
recall him from an unworthy pursuit. "Very well!