"Norah! answer me this question, straight, by yes or no--Is my wife
dead?"

"No, she is not!" said Norah, slowly and heavily.

"O what a relief! Did she receive my letters? But perhaps you don't
know. Why did you leave her? Where is she? O Norah, tell me all
quickly!"

"Mr. Frank!" said Norah at last, almost driven to bay by her terror lest
her mistress should return at any moment, and find him there--unable to
consider what was best to be done or said-rushing at something decisive,
because she could not endure her present state: "Mr. Frank! we never
heard a line from you, and the shipowners said you had gone down, you and
every one else. We thought you were dead, if ever man was, and poor Miss
Alice and her little sick, helpless child! O, sir, you must guess it,"
cried the poor creature at last, bursting out into a passionate fit of
crying, "for indeed I cannot tell it. But it was no one's fault. God
help us all this night!"

Norah had sate down. She trembled too much to stand. He took her hands
in his. He squeezed them hard, as if by physical pressure, the truth
could be wrung out.

"Norah!" This time his tone was calm, stagnant as despair. "She has
married again!"

Norah shook her head sadly. The grasp slowly relaxed. The man had
fainted.

There was brandy in the room. Norah forced some drops into Mr. Frank's
mouth, chafed his hands, and--when mere animal life returned, before the
mind poured in its flood of memories and thoughts--she lifted him up, and
rested his head against her knees. Then she put a few crumbs of bread
taken from the supper-table, soaked in brandy into his mouth. Suddenly
he sprang to his feet.

"Where is she? Tell me this instant." He looked so wild, so mad, so
desperate, that Norah felt herself to be in bodily danger; but her time
of dread had gone by. She had been afraid to tell him the truth, and
then she had been a coward. Now, her wits were sharpened by the sense of
his desperate state. He must leave the house. She would pity him
afterwards; but now she must rather command and upbraid; for he must
leave the house before her mistress came home. That one necessity stood
clear before her.

"She is not here; that is enough for you to know. Nor can I say exactly
where she is" (which was true to the letter if not to the spirit). "Go
away, and tell me where to find you to-morrow, and I will tell you all.
My master and mistress may come back at any minute,