The girl's wits were not of the brightest at any time. Now she looked confused and frightened. "I thought you knew, ma'am," she exclaimed, "I fetched a fly immediately you had gone out, for the lady. She has gone." "Gone!" cried Sydney, in dismay, forgetful of everything except the shock of distress and disappointment. "She left this note for you, ma'am," added the servant. "Perhaps she has gone home," thought Sydney, with sudden hope. She tore open the envelope. "Thank you, dearest Sydney," said the note, "for your love and kindness. After what you have told me, however, of your husband's feelings, I cannot stay longer with you. But do not be uneasy about me. I will write to you in a day or two. I cannot tell you where I am going, for I do not know myself. I am very miserable and very desolate; but I am not so selfish as to wish, to make you unhappy too. "Your affectionate Eugenia." "What else is she doing than making me miserable too?" thought Sydney. "Oh, Eugenia, this is very cruel of you." Frank came in almost immediately. He too was greatly distressed, and at first a little alarmed, and in consequence of these feelings, after the manner of men, he relieved himself by scolding his wife. "You must have irritated her," he exclaimed. "I really thought you were more judicious, Sydney. It would have been far better to have said nothing till I came in, and then I would have put the whole before her clearly, but not so as to hurt her." Sydney took the undeserved blame meekly, nor did she remind her husband that, in saying what she had, she had acted by his express injunctions. "I blame myself for leaving her," she said, sadly. Then they set to work to think what was best to do. Frank's first impulse was to trace his sister-in-law at once. There would be little difficulty in finding her, he said. It would be easy to discover the driver of the fly, and learn from him to what station he had taken her-- for Wareborough boasted no less than three--and, once certain of the railway by which she had travelled, the rest would be easy. "For it is not," he said, "as if she had any particular reason for mystery. She is sure in any case to write to us in a day or two." In this Sydney agreed, so after talking it over a little more, they decided it would be best to take no such steps as Frank had at first proposed. "The publicity of making any inquiries about her," he said, "is one of the things most to be avoided. Besides I hardly feel that I have a right to take any such steps. I will write to Chancellor at once; I shall write very carefully, you may be sure. But don't be uneasy, Sydney. We shall hear from her in a day or two, you'll see." Sydney sighed. There was nothing for it but patience. "I wish Gerald were at home," she thought. But he was not, and the next day or two passed very anxiously with Eugenia's sister.