Mrs. Ellmother sat by the dying embers of the kitchen fire;thinking over the events of the day in perplexity and distress.

She had waited at the cottage door for a friendly word withAlban, after he had left Emily. The stern despair in his facewarned her to let him go in silence. She had looked into theparlor next. Pale and cold, Emily lay on the sofa--sunk inhelpless depression of body and mind. "Don't speak to me," shewhispered; "I am quite worn out." It was but too plain that theview of Alban's conduct which she had already expressed, was theview to which she had adhered at the interview between them. Theyhad parted in grief---perhaps in anger--perhaps forever. Mrs.Ellmother lifted Emily in compassionate silence, and carried herupstairs, and waited by her until she slept.

In the still hours of the night, the thoughts of the faithful oldservant--dwelling for a while on past and present--advanced, byslow degrees, to consideration of the doubtful future. Measuring,to the best of her ability, the responsibility which had fallenon her, she felt that it was more than she could bear, or oughtto bear, alone. To whom could she look for help?

The gentlefolks at Monksmoor were strangers to her. Doctor Alldaywas near at hand--but Emily had said, "Don't send for him; hewill torment me with questions--and I want to keep my mind quiet,if I can." But one person was left, to whose ever-ready kindnessMrs. Ellmother could appeal--and that person was Miss Ladd.

It would have been easy to ask the help of the goodschoolmistress in comforting and advising the favorite pupil whomshe loved. But Mrs. Ellmother had another object in view: she wasdetermined that the cold-blooded cruelty of Emily's treacherousfriend should not be allowed to triumph with impunity. If anignorant old woman could do nothing else, she could tell theplain truth, and could leave Miss Ladd to decide whether such aperson as Francine deserved to remain under her care.

To feel justified in taking this step was one thing: to put itall clearly in writing was another. After vainly making theattempt overnight, Mrs. Ellmother tore up her letter, andcommunicated with Miss Ladd by means of a telegraphic message, inthe morning. "Miss Emily is in great distress. I must not leaveher. I have something besides to say to you which cannot be putinto a letter. Will you please come to us?"

Later in the forenoon, Mrs. Ellmother was called to the door bythe arrival of a visitor. The personal appearance of the strangerimpressed her favorably. He was a handsome little gentleman; hismanners were winning, and his voice was singularly pleasant tohear.

"I have come from Mr. Wyvil's house in the country," he said;"and I bring a letter from his daughter. May I take theopportunity of asking if Miss Emily is well?"

"Far from it, sir, I am sorry to say. She is so poorly that shekeeps her bed."

At this reply, the visitor's face revealed such sincere sympathyand regret, that Mrs. Ellmo ther was interested in him: she addeda word more. "My mistress has had a hard trial to bear, sir. Ihope there is no bad news for her in the young lady's letter?"

"On the contrary, there is news that she will be glad tohear--Miss Wyvil is coming here this evening. Will you excuse myasking if Miss Emily has had medical advice?"

"She won't hear of seeing the doctor, sir. He's a good friend ofhers--and he lives close by. I am unfortunately alone in thehouse. If I could leave her, I would go at once and ask hisadvice."

"Let _me_ go!" Mirabel eagerly proposed.

Mrs. Ellmother's face brightened. "That's kindly thought of,sir--if you don't mind the trouble."

"My good lady, nothing is a trouble in your young mistress'sservice. Give me the doctor's name and address--and tell me whatto say to him."

"There's one thing you must be careful of," Mrs. Ellmotheranswered. "He mustn't come here, as if he had been sent for--shewould refuse to see him."

Mirabel understood her. "I will not forget to caution him. Kindlytell Miss Emily I called--my name is Mirabel. I will returnto-morrow."

He hastened away on his errand--only to find that he had arrivedtoo late. Doctor Allday had left London; called away to a seriouscase of illness. He was not expected to get back until late inthe afternoon. Mirabel left a message, saying that he wouldreturn in the evening.

The next visitor who arrived at the cottage was the trustyfriend, in whose generous nature Mrs. Ellmother had wisely placedconfidence. Miss Ladd had resolved to answer the telegram inperson, the moment she read it.

"If there is bad news," she said, "let me hear it at once. I amnot well enough to bear suspense; my busy life at the school isbeginning to tell on me."

"There is nothing that need alarm you, ma'am--but there is agreat deal to say, before you see Miss Emily. My stupid headturns giddy with thinking of it. I hardly know where to begin."

"Begin with Emily," Miss Ladd suggested.

Mrs. Ellmother took the advice. She described Emily's unexpectedarrival on the previous day; and she repeated what had passedbetween them afterward. Miss Ladd's first impulse, when she hadrecovered her composure, was to go to Emily without waiting tohear more. Not presuming to stop her, Mrs. Ellmother ventured toput a question "Do you happen to have my telegram about you,ma'am?" Miss Ladd produced it. "Will you please look at the lastpart of it again?"

Miss Ladd read the words: "I have something besides to say to youwhich cannot be put into a letter." She at once returned to herchair.

"Does what you have still to tell me refer to any person whom Iknow?" she said.

"It refers, ma'am, to Miss de Sor. I am afraid I shall distressyou."

"What did I say, when I came in?" Miss Ladd asked. "Speak outplainly; and try--it's not easy, I know--but try to begin at thebeginning."

Mrs. Ellmother looked back through her memory of past events, andbegan by alluding to the feeling of curiosity which she hadexcited in Francine, on the day when Emily had made them known toone another. From this she advanced to the narrative of what hadtaken place at Netherwoods--to the atrocious attempt to frightenher by means of the image of wax--to the discovery made byFrancine in the garden at night--and to the circumstances underwhich that discovery had been communicated to Emily.

Miss Ladd's face reddened with indignation. "Are you sure of allthat you have said?" she asked.

"I am quite sure, ma'am. I hope I have not done wrong," Mrs.Ellmother added simply, "in telling you all this?"

"Wrong?" Miss Ladd repeated warmly. "If that wretched girl has nodefense to offer, she is a disgrace to my school--and I owe you adebt of gratitude for showing her to me in her true character.She shall return at once to Netherwoods; and she shall answer meto my entire satisfaction--or leave my house. What cruelty! whatduplicity! In all my experience of girls, I have never met withthe like of it. Let me go to my dear little Emily--and try toforget what I have heard."

Mrs. Ellmother led the good lady to Emily's room--and, returningto the lower part of the house, went out into the garden. Themental effort that she had made had left its result in an achinghead, and in an overpowering sense of depression. "A mouthful offresh air will revive me," she thought.

The front garden and back garden at the cottage communicated witheach other. Walking slowly round and round, Mrs. Ellmother heardfootsteps on the road outside, which stopped at the gate. Shelooked through the grating, and discovered Alban Morris.

"Come in, sir!" she said, rejoiced to see him. He obeyed insilence. The full view of his face shocked Mrs. Ellmother. Neverin her experience of the friend who had been so kind to her atNetherwoods, had he looked so old and so haggard as he lookednow. "Oh, Mr. Alban, I see how she has distressed you! Don't takeher at her word. Keep a good heart, sir--young girls are neverlong together of the same mind."

Alban gave her his hand. "I mustn't speak about it," he said."Silence helps me to bear my misfortune as becomes a man. I havehad some hard blows in my time: they don't seem to have bluntedmy sense of feeling as I thought they had. Thank God, she doesn'tknow how she has made me suffer! I want to ask her pardon forhaving forgotten myself yesterday. I spoke roughly to her, at onetime. No: I won't intrude on her; I have said I am sorry, inwriting. Do you mind giving it to her? Good-by--and thank you. Imustn't stay longer; Miss Ladd expects me at Netherwoods."

"Miss Ladd is in the house, sir, at this moment."

"Here, in London!"

"Upstairs, with Miss Emily."

"Upstairs? Is Emily ill?"

"She is getting better, sir. Would you like to see Miss Ladd?"

"I should indeed! I have something to say to her--and time is ofimportance to me. May I wait in the garden?"

"Why not in the parlor, sir?"

"The parlor reminds me of happier days. In time, I may havecourage enough to look at the room again. Not now."

"If she doesn't make it up with that good man," Mrs. Ellmotherthought, on her way back to the house, "my nurse-child is what Ihave never believed her to be yet--she's a fool."

In half an hour more, Miss Ladd joined Alban on the little plotof grass behind the cottage. "I bring Emily's reply to yourletter," she said. "Read it, before you speak to me."

Alban read it: "Don't suppose you have offended me--and beassured that I feel gratefully the tone in which your note iswritten. I try to write forbearingly on my side; I wish I couldwrite acceptably as well. It is not to be done. I am as unable asever to enter into your motives. You are not my relation; youwere under no obligation of secrecy: you heard me speakignorantly of the murder of my father, as if it had been themurder of a stranger; and yet you kept me--deliberately, cruellykept me--deceived! The remembrance of it burns me like fire. Icannot--oh, Alban, I cannot restore you to the place in myestimation which you have lost! If you wish to help me to bear mytrouble, I entreat you not to write to me again."

Alban offered the letter silently to Miss Ladd. She signed to himto keep it.

"I know what Emily has written," she said; "and I have told her,what I now tell you--she is wrong; in every way, wrong. It is themisfortune of her impetuous nature that she rushes toconclusions--and those conclusions once formed, she holds to themwith all the strength of her character. In this matter, she haslooked at her side of the question exclusively; she is blind toyour side."

"Not willfully!" Alban interposed.

Miss Ladd looked at him with admiration. "You defend Emily?" shesaid.

"I love her," Alban answered.

Miss Ladd felt for him, as Mrs. Ellmother had felt for him."Trust to time, Mr. Morris," she resumed. "The danger to beafraid of is--the danger of some headlong action, on her part, inthe interval. Who can say what the end may be, if she persists inher present way of thinking? There is something monstrous, in ayoung girl declaring that it is _her_ duty to pursue a murderer,and to bring him to justice! Don't you see it yourself?"

A lban still defended Emily. "It seems to me to be a naturalimpulse," he said--"natural, and noble."

"Noble!" Miss Ladd exclaimed.

"Yes--for it grows out of the love which has not died with herfather's death."

"Then you encourage her?"

"With my whole heart--if she would give me the opportunity!"

"We won't pursue the subject, Mr. Morris. I am told by Mrs.Ellmother that you have something to say to me. What is it?"

"I have to ask you," Alban replied, "to let me resign mysituation at Netherwoods."

Miss Ladd was not only surprised; she was also--a very rare thingwith her--inclined to be suspicious. After what he had said toEmily, it occurred to her that Alban might be meditating somedesperate project, with the hope of recovering his lost place inher favor.

"Have you heard of some better employment?" she asked.

"I have heard of no employment. My mind is not in a state to givethe necessary attention to my pupils."

"Is that your only reason for wishing to leave me?"

"It is one of my reasons."

"The only one which you think it necessary to mention?"

"Yes."

"I shall be sorry to lose you, Mr. Morris."

"Believe me, Miss Ladd, I am not ungrateful for your kindness."

"Will you let me, in all kindness, say something more?" Miss Laddanswered. "I don't intrude on your secrets--I only hope that youhave no rash project in view."

"I don't understand you, Miss Ladd."

"Yes, Mr. Morris--you do."

She shook hands with him--and went back to Emily.