tumn of this year, Mrs. Lessingham died. Owing to slight
ailments, she had been advised to order her life more restfully, and
with a view to this she took a house at Richmond, where Mrs. Delph and
Irene again came to live with her. Scarcely was the settlement
effected, when grave illness fell upon her, the first she had suffered
since girlhood. She resented it; her energies put themselves forth
defiantly; two days before her death she had no suspicion of what was
coming. Warned at length, she made her will, angrily declined spiritual
comfort, and with indignation fought her fate to the verge of darkness.

Cecily and her husband arrived a few hours too late; when the telegram
of summons reached them, they were in Denmark. The Spences attended the
funeral. Mallard and Miriam, who were in the north of Scotland--they
had been married some two months--did not come. By Mrs. Lessingham's
will, the greater part of her possessions fell to Cecily; there was a
legacy of money to Irene Delph, and a London hospital for women
received a bequest.

Eleanor wrote to Miriam:

"They went back to Paris yesterday. I had Cecily with me for one whole
day, but of herself she evidently did not wish to speak, and of course
I asked no questions. Both she and her husband looked well, however. It
pleased me very much to hear her talk of you; all her natural
tenderness and gladness came out; impossible to imagine a more
exquisite sincerity of joy. She is a noble and beautiful creature; I do
hope that the shadow on her life is passing away, and that we shall see
her become as strong as she is lovable. She said she had written to
you. Your letter at the time of your marriage was a delight to her.

"It happened that on the day when she was here we had a visit
from--whom think you? Mr. Bradshaw, accompanied by his daughter
Charlotte and her husband. The old gentleman was in London on business,
and had met the young people, who were just returning from their
honeymoon. He is still the picture of health, and his robust, practical
talk seemed to do us good. How he laughed and shouted over his
reminiscences of Italy! Your marriage had amazed him; when he began to
speak of it, it was in a grave, puzzled way, as if there must be
something in the matter which required its being touched upon with
delicacy. The substitution of baths for a chapel at Bartles obviously
gave him more amusement than he liked to show; he chuckled inwardly,
with a sober face. 'What