remained desolate.

But she had one consolation during the long hours she was alone--her
boy; and, lavishing her love upon him, she lived on, hopefully waiting
for the sunshine; happy that, in spite of the fierce anger and suspicion
of Sir Murray Gernon, the quarrel with her husband had proceeded no
further, while, save for an occasional scrap of information gleaned in
visits to the Rectory, the doings of the Gernons were to her a sealed
book.

This had pained her at first, but her good sense told her that it was
best for all concerned; and, striving to forget the past, she saw the
time glide by in what was to her a calm and uneventful life till, shock
after shock, came tidings and blows that, like the storm beating upon
some good ship, threatened to make wreck of all her hopes. Tempest,
rock, quicksand, all were fighting, as it were, to make an end of her
faith--to destroy her happiness; calling forth fortitude and
determination to encounter sufferings more than ordinarily fall to the
lot of woman to bear.

Book 1, Chapter XX.

SIR MURRAY'S LIBRARY.

There was a buzz of satisfaction amongst the servants as, half
hysterically, Jane Barker announced the tidings of a change for the
better; but when she added thereto an order from the Doctor that Sir
Murray should be made acquainted with the change, there was a look of
intelligence passed from one to the other--a scared, frightened look,
which she was not slow to perceive, and in eager tones demanded what was
the matter.

"Nothing that I know of," said one, "but--"

"You always were a fool, Thomas!" exclaimed Jane, angrily. "Here,
James, go and tell master at once."

But James seemed not to have heard the command, for he suddenly
disappeared through a door, against which he had happened to be
standing.

"You go, then, Thomas," said Jane; "and make haste, there's a good man.
He must be anxious to know."

"Shouldn't think he was," said Thomas, "when Missus Elstree knocked ever
so long at the libery and got no answer."

Jane's sharp eyes were again directed from one to the other, and then,
without further pause, she set her teeth, nipped her lips together, and
hurried across the hall to the library door.

She knocked at first softly, but there was no reply; then more loudly,
with the same result; and at last, thoroughly alarmed, she beat fiercely
upon the panels, calling loudly upon her masters name.

"Go and fetch Mr Elstree, and call up Dr Challen," said