visit. She took her baby and nurse with
her. She refused our company, and would not even say whither she was
bound until she had passed the lodge-gate. I may have suspected what the
object was of her journey. Florac and I did not talk of it. We rode out
to meet the hounds of a cheery winter morning: on another day I might
have been amused with my host--the splendour of his raiment, the
neatness of his velvet cap, the gloss of his hunting-boots; the cheers,
shouts, salutations, to dog and man; the oaths and outcries of this
Nimrod, who shouted louder than the whole field and the whole pack
too--but on this morning--I was thinking of the tragedy yonder enacting,
and came away early from the hunting-field, and found my wife already
returned to Rosebury.

Laura had been, as I suspected, to Lady Clara. She did not know why,
indeed. She scarce knew what she should say when she arrived--how she
could say what she had in her mind. "I hoped, Arthur, that I should have
something--something told me to say," whispered Laura, with her head on
my shoulder; and as I lay awake last night thinking of her, prayed--that
is, hoped, I might find a word of consolation for that poor lady. Do you
know, I think she has hardly ever heard a kind word? She said so; she
was very much affected after we had talked together a little.

"At first she was very indifferent; cold and haughty in her manner;
asked what had caused the pleasure of this visit, for I would go in,
though at the lodge they told me her ladyship was unwell, and they
thought received no company. I said I wanted to show our boy to
her--that the children ought to be acquainted--I don't know what I said.
She seemed more and more surprised--then all of a sudden--I don't
know how--I said, 'Lady Clara, I have had a dream about you and your
children, and I was so frightened that I came over to you to speak
about it.' And I had the dream, Pen; it came to me absolutely as I was
speaking to her.

"She looked a little scared, and I went on telling her the dream. 'My
dear' I said, 'I dreamed that I saw you happy with those children.'

"'Happy!' says she--the three were playing in the conservatory into
which her sitting-room opens.

"'And that a bad spirit came and tore them from you, and drove you
out into the darkness; and I saw you wandering about quite lonely and
wretched, and looking back into the garden where the children were
playing. And you asked and implored to see them; and the Ke