A Mere Chance, Vol. 3 of 3

should be but the chief episode in the story

soft airs from "Don Giovanni" under her breath as she busied herself with the arrangement of little grou

Rachel, lifting it from the sal

il I see if there are any

, read the brief message tranquilly,

said; "not the brougham, if it keeps as fine as it is now, the op

ming home to-day i

s continued her occupation of arranging the flo

riend's house in the country, a thing he did not often do, and she had stayed behind because little Alfr

party amusing, or had been bored in some way, and so had excused himself from prolonging his

p of old days on her shining head-against which the soft roundness of her cheek and throat, and the blush-rose delicacy of her complexion was particularly distinct and striki

where her little boy ran to meet her, begging

determined manner, telling him that he must not cry to go in the carriage to-day; he must go for a nice walk with his nursey, b

ich was very like her own-with kisses; "You shall go with mother next time, my sweet. Don't cry, dear li

want to go with you,

njoy it so! And his father hasn't seen him for four days. Dress him quickly, nurse, and I'

t operation silently, with a mien of severe disapprova

d clasping his mites of hands round her white throat; and she placed him in the carriage beside her, and tucked up his little legs in the soft bearskin, and they set forth together to Spencer Street

ear rather, for as she knew he would object to her waiting unattended on the platform, she stayed in the carriage and sent the foo

sarily violent terms, and then he demanded angrily of his servant why t

riage best. It was beautifully mild when we started-it has been quite a warm day. And here is Alfy come to meet you. He is quite w

rse? At home? Upon my word, Rachel, we might as well be spared the expense of servants altoge

ekly, tucking the child into her own corner of the

d cold-the most confounded bad cold I ever had in my life. I'm regularly se

r, I'm s

ed. "It's the most wretched thing to be in ot

tically; "and I am very glad you came ba

nd before we reached the house-great, cold barrack of a place, with stingy little coal fires-fancy coal fires!-shows what an idiot the fellow is, and she's worse-before we got there I was thoroughly wet through, and chilled to the bone. I never was so cold in my life. I t

ham, I h

never had a cough in my life-and I can't draw a breath without feeling as if I was dragging something

as strangely quick and laboured, and noisy, and she was struck by a great change in his since she had s

dn't you better call on the doctor at once-it won't be much out of our way-and see what he says abou

again. "It seems worse than it was when I started-the cold day, I suppo

-coats and furs that one would have thought su

d was temporarily put to bed under the long, soft skirt of his mother's jacket. Then, as the dusk was falling, Mr.

n't look as if he thought it a touch. He is coming up to-night to do something. He says I ought to have come home the first day, and not have let it

lasping it between her own. "And now you are home, with me to nurse you, you will soon get all right. Many people have it sligh

! you will take ca

esting her cheek on his coat-sleeve. "I wish you had come back to me befo

first; it had been allowed to run on for several days; and the constitution of the patient, enervated and shattered by years of unwholesome indulgence, was as little fitted to stand an illness as any constitution could be. The pain in breathing grew worse and worse, and the fever hotter and drier; and then stupor came on, and delirium, and exhaustion, and by-and-bye a filmy cloud over the sunken eyes, and a dusky pallor over the old, old, wrinkled face; and, in spite of all the doctors, and all the nurses, and all that money could do-in spite

d when Rachel, watching beside him, thought he was past knowing anyone-even her-he looked at her with a glea

nd vague remorse, and kissed him, and laid her white arms abou

good enough to you!" she cried. "And

at her with dull wi

gasped, fee

laid her cheek on the pillow beside him, and listened to the faint rattle which now and then told that the "step or two dubious of twilight

s out slowly and huskily, but evidently with a perfect co

she drew it back to her gently u

choking sobs. But he went on stea

o-not to-lead little

pause,

hear!-te

n, though people think he is not! He will take care of little Alfy, my da

to give, or a most cruel, cruel stab, in his last conscious hour? She looked at him with agonised, imploring face, which mutely prayed him to try and understand her

murmured, "Good little