Chastisement!  Yes, it was just chastisement for headstrong folly and conceit.  She had heard of bending to the rod and finding it a cross, but here came the dreadful confusion of unreality, and of the broken habit of religious meditation except as matter of debate.  She did not know till her time of need how deeply sneers had eaten into her heart.  The only text that would come to her mind was, “And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.”  Every effort at prayer or at calm recall of old thoughts still ended in that desolate verse.  The first relief to these miserable dreams was the cool clear morning light, and by-and-by the early cathedral bells, then Grace’s kind greeting made her quite herself; no longer feverish, but full of lassitude and depression.  She would not listen to Grace’s entreaties that she would remain in bed.  No place was so hateful to her, she said, and she came down apparently not more unwell than had been the case for many days past, so that after breakfast her mother saw no reason against leaving her on the sofa, while going out to perform some commissions in the town, attended, of course, by Grace.  Miss Wellwood promised that she should not be disturbed, and she found that she must have been asleep, for she was taken by surprise by the opening of the door, and the apologetic face of the butler, who told her that a gentleman had asked if she would see him, and presented the card of “Captain Alexander Keith.”

Eagerly she desired that he should be admitted, tremulously she awaited his sentence upon her mother’s peace, and, as she thought of all he must have heard, all he must believe, she felt as if she must flee; or, if that were impossible, cower in shrinking dread of the glance of his satirical eye!

Here he was, and she could not look or speak, nor did he; she only felt that his clasp of greeting was kind, was anxious, and he put forward the easy-chair, into which she sank, unable to stand.  He said, “I saw your mother and sister going into the town.  I thought you would like to hear of this business at once.”

“Oh yes, thank you.”

“I could not see the man till the day before yesterday,” he said, “and I could get nothing satisfactory from him.  He said he had taken the papers to a legal friend, but was not authorized to give his name.  Perhaps his views may be changed by his present condition.  I will try him again if you like.”

“Thank you, thank you!  Do you think this is true!”

“He is too cunning a scoundrel to tell unnecessary lies, and very likely he may have disposed of them to some Jew attorney; but I think nothing is to be feared but some annoyance.”

“And annoyance to my mother is the one thing I most fear,” sighed Rachel, helplessly.

“There might be a mode of much lessening it to her,” he said.