Produced by David Edwards, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) A LIFE'S SECRET. A Novel. By MRS. HENRY WOOD, AUTHOR OF "EAST LYNNE," "THE CHANNINGS," ETC. [Illustration: Logo] _EIGHTH EDITION._ LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty. 1879. [_All Rights of Translation and Reproduction are Reserved._] CONTENTS. PART THE FIRST. CHAP. PAGE I. WAS THE LADY MAD? 11 II. CHANGES 32 III. AWAY TO LONDON 39 IV. DAFFODIL'S DELIGHT 52 V. MISS GWINN'S VISIT 67 VI. TRACKED HOME 83 VII. MR. SHUCK AT HOME 103 VIII. FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS! 116 IX. THE SEPARATION OF HUNTER AND HUNTER 127 PART THE SECOND. I. A MEETING OF THE WORKMEN 136 II. CALLED TO KETTERFORD 153 III. TWO THOUSAND POUNDS 168 IV. AGITATION 186 PART THE THIRD. I. A PREMATURE AVOWAL 204 II. MR. COX 221 III. 'I THINK I HAVE BEEN A FOOL' 238 IV. SOMEBODY 'PITCHED INTO' 256 V. A GLOOMY CHAPTER 274 VI. THE LITTLE BOY AT REST 288 VII. MR. DUNN'S PIGS BROUGHT TO MARKET 294 VIII. A DESCENT FOR MR. SHUCK 309 IX. ON THE EVE OF BANKRUPTCY 326 X. THE YEARS GONE BY 342 XI. RELIEF 359 XII. CONCLUSION 369 A LIFE'S SECRET PART THE FIRST. CHAPTER I. WAS THE LADY MAD? On the outskirts of Ketterford, a town of some note in the heart of England, stood, a few years ago, a white house, its green lawn, surrounded by shrubs and flowers, sloping down to the high road. It probably stands there still, looking as if not a day had passed over its head since, for houses can be renovated and made, so to say, new again, unlike men and women. A cheerful, bright, handsome house, of moderate size, the residence of Mr. Thornimett. At the distance of a short stone's-throw, towards the open country, were sundry workshops and sheds--a large yard intervening between them and the house. They belonged to Mr. Thornimett; and the timber and other characteristic materials lying about the yard would have proclaimed their owner's trade without the aid of the lofty sign-board--'Richard Thornimett, Builder and Contractor.' His business was extensive for a country town.