as he now wore he would be sure to conquer.
She did not tell herself that she would yield, but thoughts flitted
across her as to what might be the best manner of yielding.

"Isabel," he said, taking her by the hand, "Isabel, I have come
again, as I told you that I would."

She could not take her hand from him, nor could she say a word to him
in her accustomed manner. As he looked down upon her, she felt that
she had already yielded, when suddenly the door was opened, and one
of the girls hurried into the room.

"Isabel," said her sister, "here is a telegram for you, just come
from Carmarthen."

Of course she opened it instantly with perturbed haste and quivering
fingers. The telegram was as follows:--"Your uncle is very ill, very
ill indeed, and wishes you to come back quite immediately." The
telegram was not from her Cousin Henry, but from the doctor.

There was no time then either for giving love or for refusing it.
The paper was handed to her lover to read, and then she rushed out
of the room as though the train which was to carry her would start
instantly.

"You will let me write to you by-and-by?" said Mr Owen as she left
him; but she made no answer to him as she rushed out of the room;
nor would she make any answer to any of the others as they expressed
either hope or consolation. When was the next train? When should
she reach Carmarthen? When would she once more be at the old man's
bedside? In the course of the afternoon she did leave Hereford, and
at about ten o'clock that night she was at Carmarthen. Some one
concerned had looked into this matter of the trains, and there at the
station was a fly ready to take her to Llanfeare. Before eleven her
uncle's hand was in hers, as she stood by his bedside.

Her Cousin Henry was in the room, and so was the housekeeper who had
been with him constantly almost ever since she had left him. She had
seen at once by the manner of the old servants as she entered the
house, from the woeful face of the butler, and from the presence of
the cook, who had lived in the family for the last twenty years, that
something terrible was expected. It was not thus that she would have
been received had not the danger been imminent.

"Dr Powell says, Miss Isabel, that you are to be told that he will be
here quite early in the morning."

This coming from the cook, told her that her uncle was expected to
live that night, but that no more was expected.

"Uncle Indefer," she said, "how