"Very early, long before six, I heard Anna stirring. I remembered with compunction that she had only one servant, and that she had said she would get up and cook my breakfast for me herself before I started. Anna was an excellent cook. I heard her rattling the kitchen grate and singing as she laid the breakfast and presently there were two voices, Anna's and another. I knew it was the voice of my lady. I felt unable to lie still any longer, and when the motor came round at six I was already half dressed. There was a momentary turmoil, and an opening and shutting of doors, and then the motor went away again. I finished dressing and went into the garden into the soft September sunshine. There was no one about. I went back to the house and found the servant clearing away a meal and relaying the table for me. I asked her where her mistress was, and she said she had gone in the motor with the other lady and had left a note for me. Sure enough, there was a scrawl stuck up on the mantelpiece. "'So sorry you are not well enough to start, but don't worry your kind heart about it. I have gone in your place and will arrange everything. Take care of yourself, and don't wait luncheon.' "I got through the morning as best I could. I was abominably tired after my sleepless night and getting up so early, and a horrible anxiety grew and grew in me as the hours passed and Anna did not return. I had luncheon alone, and still no Anna. Could there have been an accident? I thought of my careful chauffeur and my new Daimler. Nothing ever happened to Anna, but I could not tolerate the idea of any risk to my lady. At last I heard the motor, and Anna came rushing in. "'It's all right,' she cried joyfully. 'Brian's farm is saved, and he and his old mother can't thank you enough. I told them both it was all your doing, and you had sent me as you were not well enough to go yourself. Brown told me how poorly you were. And it was only a hundred and fifty pounds, after all. I gave my cheque for it, as I didn't like to wake you for a blank one. They were almost paralysed with surprise. They could hardly thank me--I mean you--at first. Old Nancy cried, poor old darling, and called down blessings on you.' "'Did your guest enjoy the drive?' I said at last. "'She did,' said Anna. 'And, oh! how I wished you had been well enough to be driving with her instead of me. The world was all sky. Such a pageant I had never seen--such vistas and fastnesses and citadels of light. She said she should remember it always.' "'She is not tired, I hope?' I said. "'Tired! She said she was never tired. She said she would have walked the whole way if there had been time; but of course she was delayed by last night's storm. So she was glad of the lift, and I dropped her at the cross roads above Riffle station. That was a splendid woman, Gerald.' "I turned cold. "'Do you mean to say she's gone?' "'Yes. She sails for South America on Tuesday. I forget why she said she was going.'