a greeting
for the friendly old servant was on her tongue's end. Alas! a strange
face met her eye, elderly, respectable, but guarded. Miss Charlecote was
not at home, not in town, not at Hiltonbury--gone abroad, whither was not
known. Mrs. Jones? Dead more than a year ago. Every reply was followed
by an attempt to close the door, and it needed all Lucy's native
hardihood, all her ardent craving for her former home, to venture on an
entreaty to be admitted for a few minutes. She was answered, that the
house might be shown to no one without orders from Mr. Parsons.

Her heart absolutely fainted within her, as the heavy door was closed on
her, making her thoroughly realize her voluntary renunciation of home and
protection, and the dreariness of the world on which she had cast
herself. Anxiety on Honor's behalf began to awaken. Nothing but illness
could have induced her to leave her beloved Holt, and in the thought of
her sick, lonely, and untended by the children she had fostered, Cilla
forgave her adoption, forgave her forgiveness, forgave everything, in the
impulse to hasten to her to requite the obligation by the tenderest care.

She had actually set off to the parsonage in quest of intelligence, when
she recollected that she might appear there as a discarded governess in
quest of her offended patroness; and her pride impelled her to turn back,
but she despatched Mrs. Murrell's little maid with a note, saying that,
being in town for a day, and hearing of Miss Charlecote's absence on the
continent, she could not help begging to be certified that illness was
not the cause. The reply was brief and formal, and it only altered
Lucilla's uneasiness, for Mrs. Parsons merely assured her of Miss
Charlecote's perfect health, and said she was gone abroad with the
Fulmort family, where there had been a good deal of illness.

In her displeasure and desire to guard Honora from becoming a prey to the
unworthy Sandbrooks, Mrs. Parsons never guessed at the cruelty of her own
words, and at the conclusion drawn from them. Robert Fulmort likewise
absent! No doubt his health had broken down, and Honor was taking Phoebe
to be with him! She examined Mrs. Murrell, and heard of his activity,
indeed, but of his recent absences from his parish, and by and by the
good woman bethought her of a report that Mr. Fulmort was from home on
account of his health. Oh, the misery of not daring to make direct
inquiry!

But the hard practical