Guy was not expected with his bride for two or three weeks, and as the days dragged on, Maddy felt that the waiting for him was more intolerable than the seeing him with Lucy would be. Restless and impatient, she could not remain quietly at the cottage—and when at Aikenside, she longed to return again to her own home; and in this way the time wore on, until the anniversary of that day when she had come from New York, and found Guy waiting for her at the station. To stay that day in the house so rife with memories of the dead was impossible, and Flora was surprised and delighted to hear that both were going up to Aikenside in the vehicle hired of Farmer Green, whose son officiated as driver. It was nearly noon when they reached their destination, meeting at the gate with Flora’s brother Tom, who said to them: “We’ve heard from Mr. Guy; the ship is in; they’ll be here to-night, and Mrs. Noah is turnin’ things upside down with the dinner.” Leaning back in the buggy, Maddy felt for a moment as if she were dying. Never until then had she realized how, all the while, she had been clinging to an indefinable hope, a presentiment that something might yet occur to spare her from a long lifetime of pain, such as lay before her, if Guy were really lost; but the bubble had burst, leaving her nothing to hope, nothing to cling to, nothing but black despair; and half bewildered, she received the noisy greeting of Jessie, who met her at the door, and dragged her into the drawing-room, decorated with flowers from the hot-house, and told her to guess who was coming. “I know; Tom told me; Guy is coming with Lucy,” Maddy answered, and relieving herself from Jessie, she turned to Agnes, asking where Mrs. Noah was, and if she might go to her for a moment. “Oh, Maddy, child, I’m sorry you’ve come to-day,” Mrs. Noah said, as she chafed Maddy’s cold hands, and leading her to the fire, made her sit down, while she untied her hood, and removed her cloak and furs. “I did not know it, or I should not have come,” Maddy replied; “I shall not stay, as it is. I cannot see them to-day. Charlie will drive me back before the train is due. But what did he say? And how is Lucy?” “He did not mention her. There’s the dispatch,” and Mrs. Noah handed to Maddy the telegram, received that morning, and which was simply as follows: “The steamer is in. Shall be at the station at five o’clock P. M. “GUY REMINGTON.” Twice Maddy read it over, experiencing much the same feeling she would have experienced had it been her death warrant she was reading.