She wished she could stop its rushing, incessant clang. She sat on the ground close by the door her whole existence was absorbed in listening: all was still it was only her heart beating with the strong, heavy, regular sound of a hammer. A soft grey oblong of barred light fell on the flat wall opposite to the windows, and deeper grey shadows marked out the tracery of the plants, more graceful thus than in reality. It was summer there was no black darkness in the twentyfour hours only the light grew dusky, and colour disappeared from objects, of which the shape and form remained distinct. Bellingham's door was open the soft, warmscented nightair came sighing in in faint gusts, and then was still. On the other side were two windows, cut into the thick stone wall, and flowerpots were placed on the shelves thus formed, where great untrimmed, straggling geraniums grew, and strove to reach the light. Then there was silence: and when she thought that all were dead asleep, except the watchers, she stole out into the gallery. She went into the bedroom till the bustling house was still, and heard busy feet passing to and fro into the room she might not enter and voices, imperious, though hushed down to awhisper, ask for innumerable things.

It was all in vain that she was told that the room she had been in all day was at her service she did not say a word, but she was not going to bed that night of all nights in the year, when life or death hung trembling in the balance. She began to hope, and to long for the morning when hope might have become certainty. Morgan gave her when she found the buttered toast untouched toast on which she had herself desired that the butter might not be spared, did Ruth more good than the tea. But the heartiness with which the kind rosy waiter pressed her to eat, and the scolding Mrs. They brought her tea, which was comfortable, according to the idea of comfort prevalent in that rude hospitable place there was plenty to eat too much indeed, for it revolted the appetite it was intended to provoke. It seemed as if she could not form words. Her very lips were stiff and unpliable with the force of the blood which rushed to her head. Ruth sprang upright at the first sound of the creaking handle. Bellingham could have been guilty of the illbreeding of not answering a question, it was now and for a moment she was tempted to pass on in silence. This was the girl, then, whose profligacy had led her son astray had raised up barriers in the way of her favourite scheme of his marriage with Miss Duncombe nay, this was the real cause of his illness, his mortal danger at this present time, and of her bitter, keen anxiety. But her quick, proud mind understood it all in an instant. Bellingham was for a moment surprised at the white apparition which seemed to rise out of the ground. Indeed, and the girls are very careless.' She rang the bell with energy, and seconded her pull by going to the door and shouting out sharp directions, in Welsh, to Nest and Gwen, and three or four other rough, kind, slatternly servants. Oh my God, I thank thee,' murmured Ruth, sinking back against the wall. Why, she won't let a soul of us into the room there's no chance for you'

Bellingham's man such a tribe of servants, and no end to packages waterbeds coming by the carrier, and a doctor from London coming down tomorrow, as if featherbeds and Mr. Bellingham has brought her own maid, and the family nurse and Mr. Nest, who has made his room tidy these many days, is not fit to go in now.

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