few tears in her life. Until lately she had known no cause for them; and
lately they had not come. With dry eyes and throbbing temples she had
gone through the most sorrowful hours; but now the spell seemed broken,
and a sense of calm and relief came with the change. Mrs. Costello went
on,--

"There is another reason why we must appear as we have always done.
Suspicion is not proof. Margery's story, and more, may be true, and yet
it may be that, three months hence, all, as regards ourselves, will be
just as it has been. We must not, through a blind fear of one calamity,
put ourselves in the way of another. Neither of us can look much at the
future to-night; but we must not forget that there is a future. So it is
still the old task which is before us, to keep our secret."

The voice had been very steady until the last word; but as that was
spoken, it faltered and failed so suddenly that Lucia looked up. She
sprang to her feet, but just in time. The over-tried strength had given
way, and Mrs. Costello had fallen back in a deep fainting fit.




CHAPTER IV.


Lucia dared not call Margery to her assistance. The consciousness of
having something to conceal made her dread the smallest self-betrayal.
She hastened, therefore, to do alone all that she could do for her
mother's recovery; but it was so long before she succeeded that she grew
almost wild with terror. At last, however, the deathly look passed away,