me some oil and cotton wool."

The servants looked at one another, astonished at the strangeness of her
tone. But they were fond of her and always did her bidding gladly, so
they performed her behest, and helped her to lead Mrs. Brand, who was
now perfectly passive in their hands, into her own room.

But when she was there, the old butler returned to knock at the door and
ask to speak to Miss Colwyn alone. Janetta came out, with a feeling of
curious fear. She held the handle of the door as he spoke to her.

"I beg pardon, m'm," he said deferentially, "but hadn't I better keep
them gossiping maids out of the room over there?"

Janetta looked into his face, and saw that he more than suspected the
truth.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The window curtains are burned, m'm, and the bed-curtains; also the bed
clothes in different places, and one or two other light articles about
the room. It is easy to see that it was not exactly an accident, m'm."

Then, seeing Janetta's color change, he added kindly, "But there's no
call for you to feel afraid, m'm. We've all known as the poor lady's
been going off her head for a good long time, and this is only perhaps
what might have been expected, seeing what her feelings are. You leave
it all to me, and just keep her quiet, m'm; I'll see to the room, and
nobody else shall put their foot into it. The master will be home this
morning, I hope and trust."

He hobbled away, and Janetta went back to Mrs. Brand. The reaction was
setting in; her own hurts had not been attended to, and were beginning
to give her a good deal of pain; and she was conscious of sickness and
faintness as well as fatigue. A great dread of Mrs. Brand's next words
and actions was also coming over her.

But for the present, at least, she need not have been afraid! Mrs. Brand
was lying on the bed in a kind of stupor: her eyes were only half-open;
her hands were very cold.

Janetta did her best to warm and comfort her physically; and then,
finding that she seemed to sleep more naturally, she got her hands bound
up and sat down to await the coming of the doctor.

But she was not destined to wait in idleness very long. She was summoned
to Mrs. Wyvis Brand, who had awakened suddenly from her sleep and was
coughing violently. Little Julian had to be hastily sent back to his own
room, for his mother's cough was dangerous as well as distressing to
her, and Janetta was anxious that he should not witness what might p