to the motives and circumstances that led to our
marriage. I had his full and free forgiveness for having doubted him;
and I now, as a woman, beg to apologize to you for all that I might
have said as a passionate girl.

"Let me also assure you, my lord, of my deep sympathy for you in the
trial which awaits you on your return, when you will find Chetwynde
Castle deprived of the presence of that father whom you love. I feel
for you and with you. My loss is only second to yours; for, in your
father, I lost the only friend whom I possessed.

"Yours, very respectfully,

"ZILLAH."

Hilda of course had to copy this, for the objection to Zillah's
writing was as strong as before, and an explanation was now more
difficult to make than ever. Zillah, however, read it in Hilda's
handwriting, and then Hilda took it, as she always did to inclose it
for the mail.

She took it to her own room, drew from her desk a letter which was
addressed to Guy, and this was the one which she posted. Zillah's
letter was carefully destroyed. Yet Zillah went with Hilda to the
post-office, so anxious was she about her last letter, and saw it
dropped in the box, as she supposed.

Then she felt that she had cut the last tie.

CHAPTER XXVI.

FLIGHT AND REFUGE.

About a fortnight after the events narrated in our last chapter a
carriage stopped before the door of a small cottage situated in the
village of Tenby on the coast of Pembrokeshire. Two ladies in deep
mourning got out of it, and entered the gate of the garden which lay
between them and the house; while a maid descended from the ramble,
and in voluble French, alternating with broken English, besought the
coachman's tender consideration for the boxes which he was handing
down in a manner expressive of energy and expedition, rather than any
regard for their contents. A resounding "thump" on the ground, caused
by the sudden descent of one of her precious charges, elicited a cry
of agony from the Frenchwoman, accompanied by the pathetic appeal:

"Oh, mon Dieu! Qu'est ce que vous faites la? Prenez garde donc!"

This outbreak attracted the attention of the ladies, who turned round
to witness the scene. On seeing distress depicted on every lineament
of her faithful Abigail's face, the younger of the two said, with a
faint smile:

"Poor Mathilde! That man's rough handling will break the boxes and
her heart at the same time. But after all it will only anticipate the
unhappy end, f