never unhappy when I am with you, Leonard,” she returned, simply; “but I will confess that I am troubled about mamma. I never felt so strangely in my life. Wherever I go I am haunted by the sight of her pale face. Oh, Leonard, if anything should happen to her it would kill me! She is so——”

She stopped short, and the words died away into silence upon her quivering lips.

What was that?

A shriek, an awful shriek, had resounded throughout[Pg 28] the house—a wild, heart-rending cry of agony. Violet’s face grew ashen white.

[Pg 28]

“What has happened?” she moaned. “Oh, Leonard, Leonard, something awful has happened! What is it?”

He turned to the door, then slipped back to Violet’s side and took her in his arms. For the moment all jealous doubts were set at rest—for the moment only—it is hard to kill jealousy.

“Be brave and calm, my darling,” he whispered, gently; “I will stand between you and all harm!”

But, alas! there comes a time into all lives when human love is powerless and human care can avail nothing. Such an hour had come to Violet Arleigh now.

“Wait here a moment,” the young man went on, eagerly, pityingly, all jealous distrust swallowed up in anxiety. “I will go and see.”

He left the conservatory hastily; but though he did not know it, Violet followed close behind him. It is so hard to be told that you must sit still, and wait in silent inaction, while others make all the effort, do all that we so long to do for our loved ones in extremity. And some unerring instinct warned Violet Arleigh that whatever had come upon her now, to darken her life forever, it was connected with her mother.

As she left the conservatory she chanced to glance in the direction of a glass door which opened into the grounds, and her quick eyes caught a glimpse of a vanishing[Pg 29] figure, which disappeared in the shrubbery and was lost to sight—the tall, dark form of a man. It was Gilbert Warrington.

[Pg 29]

[Pg 30]

[Pg 30]

CHAPTER III.

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