‘No, she’s not,’ answered Gertie. ‘Do you want to see her?’ ‘Yes. I’ve come from London on purpose.’ Gertie thought at first it must be some one in distress who had been recommended to come to them, for the young woman, though neat, didn’t look very well off, so she asked if she could do anything for her. ‘Yes, miss, you ean; you can do me a great favour. I want to see Mrs. Heritage on most important business—important to her and to her husband. If you will let me go into the house and wait till she comes, I shall be glad.’ ‘Will you step into the lodge?’ said Gertie, pointing to the open door. The woman shrank back with a little start. ‘No, thank you,’ she said hesitatingly. ‘I’d—I’d rather not.’ Gertie thought it very funny that this strange woman should object to go into the lodge, and she was just going to ask her why she objected, when a loud bark was heard, and Lion came trotting along in front of the pony-carriage. The squire sat by his wife’s side; but few who had known him in the old time would have recognized him now. He had aged terribly. His face was deeply lined, and his hair had gone almost white during his illness. His head was bent forward and his eyes were half closed as the chaise drove up to the lodge-gate. At the sound of Gertie’s voice he looked up, and saw the young woman talking to her. In an instant the listless look upon his face vanished, his lips trembled, his face flushed angrily, and his dull eyes flashed. ‘Who’s this?’ he exclaimed angrily. ‘Some one who wishes to see Mrs. Heritage, ’answered Gertie, surprised at the squire’s manner. ‘Mrs. Heritage can’t see her, then,’ said the squire, taking the reins from Ruth and whipping the pony into a gallop. Gertie stared after the carriage in astonishment, as it was whirled up to the house-door; but the young woman never moved. ‘I’m afraid the gentleman’s offended with you for talking to me,’ she said. ‘Will you kindly give this to Mrs. Heritage presently, without the gentleman seeing?’ Gertie, bewildered by the whole scene, took the note mechanically that the woman handed to her, and slipped it into her pocket. Then, fearing that the squire would be angry if she stayed talking, she called to Lion, who had remained with her, and was sniffing suspiciously at the intruder, and ran up the broad gravel path to the hall, while the woman, with a brief ‘Thank you,’ walked away in the direction of the village. Inside the house poor Gertie soon found that things were ‘uncomfortable.’ The squire had suddenly gone off into one of his fits, and was storming and raging in his study. Gertie ran in to see what was the matter, and found Ruth vainly endeavouring to calm her husband and make him listen to reason.