secret of her new life, to assure myself that she is happy, and has
fallen under no fatal influence."

The Listers were still abroad, and Gilbert was very glad that it was so.
It would have excruciated him to hear his sister's comments on Marian's
conduct, and to perceive the suppressed exultation with which she would
most likely have discussed this unhappy termination to an engagement
which had been entered on in utter disregard of her counsel.




CHAPTER IX.

JOHN SALTRAM'S ADVICE.


Mr. Fenton discovered the Bruce family in Boundary-road, St. John's-wood,
after a good deal of trouble. But they could tell him nothing of their
dear friend Miss Nowell, of whom they spoke with the warmest regard. They
had never seen her since they had left the school at Lidford, where they
had been boarders, and she a daily pupil. They had not even heard of
Captain Sedgewick's death.

Gilbert asked these young ladies if they knew of any other acquaintance
of Marian's living in or near London. They both answered promptly in the
negative. The school was a small one, and they had been the only pupils
who came from town; nor had they ever heard Marian speak of any London
friends.