The kind hearted lady uttered a cry of blended sympathy and sorrow, and threw her arms around the passive figure, laying the golden head against her shoulder. “Do not speak one word to me, darling, if you do not choose,” she said, “I see that you are in trouble and sorrow, and I am, oh, so sorry for you!” Doctor Fielding coming in presently, found them thus, but he did not like the hard, cold misery of Nina’s face, lighted by the large suffering black eyes. Her speechless calm, her stony endurance seemed more terrible than tears. He went to the crib to kiss his sleeping child, and the babe stirred and awoke. He took it carefully in his arms and carried it to Nina. “This is our little daughter--just two months old--Mrs. Strangemore,” he said, “I hope you will kiss the little stranger, for Minnie has named her Nina for the sake of the love she had for you.” Nina gazed with strange, wild eyes at the sweet, pink face a moment, then she stooped and pressed her lips to her little namesake’s cheeks. Two great burning tears splashed on the child’s face as she did so, and when she lifted her head it was to break into a tempest of bitter weeping which dismayed Minnie, but at which her husband gazed in silent satisfaction. “Let her weep. It is better for her,” he said, under his breath, and he carried the baby out of the room, and left Minnie alone with the mourner. She followed him presently with a sad, perplexed face, and took the fretful babe from his arms. “She has sobbed herself to sleep without saying a word. Oh, Arthur, what has happened to the poor child?” “Indeed, Minnie, I do not know,” he answered, “But I think she must have had some terrible trouble greater than she could bear, for last night I rescued her from a suicide’s grave in the deep sea.” A cry of terror came from the lips of the happy young wife as she pressed her infant in her arms. CHAPTER XX. THE FIELDINGS. “A suicide’s grave! Oh, how terrible!” she cried, with blanched face and trembling hands. “I will tell you all I know about it,” said her husband. “I went on Mr. Cameron’s yacht as I promised, to look after the health of my willful patient Mr. Mason who accompanied his sister. Pretty soon I found out several things. One was that your old pupil’s husband, Talbot Strangemore, had returned to his home at Selwyn Heights the day before.” “Talbot Strangemore, home at last! Oh, how pleased, how happy Nina must have been at his return,” exclaimed Mrs. Fielding. Doctor Fielding looked rather cynical, but he continued: “I learned also that Mr. Cameron’s party was bound for Selwyn Heights to visit the Strangemores.” “So soon? But I should have thought that Nina would have liked to have her husband all to herself just at first, after his long absence!” exclaimed the little woman.