change was in the failing
strength, and he insisted on conducting Lucilla to Woolstone-lane, Mrs.
Murrell enforcing his advice so decidedly that there was no choice. She
would not be denied one look at the sufferer, but what she saw was so
miserably unlike the beautiful creature whom she remembered, that she
recoiled, feeling the kindness that had forbidden her the spectacle, and
passively left the house, still under the chill influence of the shock.
She had tasted nothing since breakfasting on board the steamer, and on
coming into the street the comparative coolness seemed to strike her
through; she shivered, felt her knees give way, and grasped Robert's arm
for support. He treated her with watchful, considerate solicitude,
though with few words, and did not leave her till he had seen her safe
under the charge of the housekeeper; when, in return for his assurance
that he would watch over her brother, she promised to take food, and go
at once to rest.

Too weary at first to undress, and still thinking that Owen might be
brought to her, she lay back on the couch in her own familiar little
cedar room, feeling as if she recalled the day through the hazy medium of
a dream, and as if she had not been in contact with Edna, nor Owen, nor
Robert, but only with pale phantoms called by those names.

Robert especially! Engrossed and awe-stricken as she had been, still it
came on her that something was gone that to her had constituted Robert
Fulmort. Neither the change of dress, nor even the older and more
settled expression of countenance, made the difference; but the want of
that nameless, hesitating deference which in each word or action formerly
seemed to implore her favour, or even when he dared to censure, did so
under appeal to her mercy. Had he avoided her, she could have understood
it; but his calm, authoritative self-possession was beyond her, though as
yet she was not alarmed, for her mind was too much confused to perceive
that her influence was lost; but it was uncomfortable, and part of this
strange, unnatural world, as though the wax which she had been used to
mould had suddenly lost its yielding nature and become marble.

Tired out, she at last went to bed, and slept soundly, but awoke early,
and on coming down, found from the housekeeper that her brother had been
brought home at two o'clock by Mr. Fulmort, and had gone to his room at
once. All was over. Lucilla, longing to hear more, set out to see Mrs.
Mu