his servant whom she so trusted did
not know more than she had told. And then Mrs. Jones had been with
her in those dreadful Dorsetshire days, and an undefined fear began
to creep over her very soul.

"God bless you, my child!" said Lady Fitzgerald, as her son got up to
leave her. And then she embraced him with more warmth even than was
her wont. "All that we can do at present is to be gentle with him,
and not to encourage people around him to talk of his illness."

On the next morning Lady Fitzgerald did not come down to breakfast,
but sent her love to Clara, and begged her guest to excuse her on
account of headache. Sir Thomas rarely came in to breakfast, and
therefore his absence was not remarkable. His daughters, however,
went up to see him, as did also his sister; and they all declared
that he was very much better.

"It was some sudden attack, I suppose?" said Clara.

"Yes, very sudden; he has had the same before," said Herbert. "But
they do not at all affect his intellect or bodily powers. Depression
is, I suppose, the name that the doctors would call it."

And then at last it became noticeable by them that Lady Clara did not
use her left arm. "Oh, Clara!" said Emmeline, "I see now that you are
hurt. How selfish we have been! Oh dear, oh dear!" And both Emmeline
and Mary immediately surrounded her, examining her arm, and almost
carrying her to the sofa.

"I don't think it will be much," said Clara. "It's only a little
stiff."

"Oh, Herbert, what shall we do? Do look here; the inside of her arm
is quite black."

Herbert, gently touching her hand, did examine the arm, and declared
his opinion that she had received a dreadfully violent blow. Emmeline
proposed to send for a doctor to pronounce whether or no it were
broken. Mary said that she didn't think it was broken, but that she
was sure the patient ought not to be moved that day, or probably for
a week. Aunt Letty, in the mean time, prescribed a cold-water bandage
with great authority, and bounced out of the room to fetch the
necessary linen and basin of water.

"It's nothing at all," continued Clara. "And indeed I shall go home
to-day; indeed I shall."

"It might be very bad for your arm that you should be moved," said
Herbert.

"And your staying here will not be the least trouble to us. We shall
all be so happy to have you; shall we not, Mary?"

"Of course we shall; and so will mamma."

"I am so sorry to be here now," said Clara, "when I know y