bear the suspense any longer, she went to the National Gallery to
obtain news of him. But Miss Brand had little news of him. She was
leaving the gallery, and the two girls went for a little walk. Mildred
was glad of company, anything to save her from thinking of Ralph, and
she laughed and talked with Nellie on the bridge in St. James' Park,
until she began to feel that the girl must think her very heartless.

'How pale and ill you're looking, Mildred.'

'Am I? I feel all right.'

Nellie's remark delighted Mildred, 'Then I have a heart,' she thought,
'I'm not so unfeeling as I thought.'

The girls separated at Buckingham Palace. Mildred walked a little way,
and then suddenly called a hansom and told the man to drive to
Chelsea. But he had not driven far before thoughts of the woman he was
living with obtruded upon her pity, and she decided that it would be
unwise for her to venture on a second visit. The emotion of seeing her
again might make him worse, might kill him. So she poked her parasol
through the trap, and told the cabby to drive to Victoria Station.
There she bought some violets, she kept a little bunch for herself,
and sent him a large bouquet. 'They'll look nice in the studio,' she
said, 'I think that will be best.'

Two days after she received a letter from Ellen Gibbs.

'MADAM,--It is my sad duty to inform you that Mr. Ralph Hoskin died
this afternoon at two o'clock. He begged me to write and thank you for
the violets you sent him, and he expressed a hope that you would come