After this Major Strong frequently called upon Mrs. Dempster. They were good friends, and did each other no harm whatever, and the husband neither showed nor felt the least jealousy. They sang together, occasionally went out shopping, and three or four times went together to the play. Mr. Dempster, so long as he had his usual comforts, did not pine in his wife's absence, but did show a little more pleasure when she came home to him than usually when he came home to her. This lasted for a few months. Then the major went back to India, and for a time the lady missed him a good deal, which, considering the dulness of her life, was not very surprising or reprehensible. CHAPTER II. AN ASTONISHMENT. Now comes the strange part of my story. One evening the housemaid opened the door to Mr. Dempster on his return from the city; and perhaps the fact that it was the maid, and not the page as usual, roused his observation, which, except in business matters, was not remarkably operative. He glanced at the young woman, when an eye far less keen than his could not have failed to remark a strangely excited expression on her countenance. "Where is the boy?" he asked. "Just run to the doctor's, sir," she answered. Then first he remembered that when he left in the morning his wife had not been feeling altogether well, but he had never thought of her since. "How is your mistress?" he said. "She's rather poorly, sir, but--but--she's as well as could be expected." "What does the fool mean?" said Dempster to himself, and very nearly said it aloud, for he was not over polite to any in his service. But he did not say it aloud. He advanced into the hall with deliberation, and made for the stair. "Oh, please sir," the maid cried in a tone of perturbation, when, turning from shutting the door, she saw his intention, "you can't go up to mis'ess's room just at this minute, sir. Please go in the dining-room, sir." "What do you mean?" he asked, turning angrily upon the girl, for of all things he hated mystery. Like every one else in the house, and office both, she stood in awe of him, and his look frightened her. "Please go in the dining-room," she gasped entreatingly. "What!" he said and did turn towards the dining-room, "is your mistress so ill she can't see me?" "Oh, no, sir!--at least I don't know exactly. Cook's with her, sir. She's over the worst, anyhow." "What on earth do you mean, girl? Speak out, will you? What is the matter with your mistress?" As he spoke he stepped into the room, the maid following him. The same moment he spied a whitish bundle of something on the rug in front of the fire. "What do you mean by leaving things like that in the dining-room?" he went on more angrily still. "Please, sir," answered the girl, going and lifting the bundle carefully, "it's the baby!"