. It's impossible--
_impossible!_"

And gasping out that one word, over and over again, fiercely and fast,
she walked up and down the room like one distraught. She was indeed
quite mad. She had not any sense of anything. She never once thought
of weeping, or fainting, or doing anything but shriek out to earth
and Heaven that one denunciation--that such a thing was and must
be--"_impossible!_"

Marmaduke caught her--she flung him aside.

"Don't touch me--don't speak to me! I say it's _impossible!_"

"Child!" And his look became more grave and commanding than any one
would have believed of the Dugdale. "Dare not to say impossible! It is
sinning against God."

Agatha stopped in her frenzied walk. Of a sudden came the horrible
thought that _it might be_--that the hand might have been lifted--have
fallen, striking the whole world from her at one blow.

"Oh God!--oh merciful God!"

In that cry, scarcely louder than a moan, yet strong and wild enough to
pierce the heavens, Agatha knew how she loved her husband. Not calmly,
not meekly, but with that terrible love which is to the heart as life
itself.

Of the next few minutes that passed over her no one could write--no one
would dare. It was utter insanity, yet with a perfect knowledge of
its state. Madness, stone-blind, stone-deaf--that uttered no cry, and
poured out no tears. She walked swiftly up and down the room, her hands
clenched, her features rigid as iron. Mr. Dugdale and old Andrews could
only watch pitifully, saying at times--which may all good Christians say
likewise!--"God have mercy upon her."

No one else came near--the servants were all asleep, and Miss Valery's
room was in another part of the house. Possibly she slept too--poor
Anne!

"Now," said Agatha, in a cold, hard voice, clutching Marmaduke's arm,
"I want to know all about it. I don't believe it, mind you!--not one
word--but I would like to hear. Just tell me. How did you get the news?"

"From Southampton, to-night. It happened last night A steamer saw the
burning ship, and went, but the fire had already reached to the water's
edge. There was not a soul in or near the wreck when it went down."

Agatha shuddered, and then said, in the same hard voice: "It was some
other ship--not the _Ardente_."

Marmaduke shook his head, drearily. "They found a spar with 'Ardente'
upon it. But they saw no boats, and some people think, as there were but
few passengers, they all got safe off, and may reach t