Transcriber's Note: Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=. THE WELLFIELDS. A Novel. BY JESSIE FOTHERGILL, AUTHOR OF ‘THE FIRST VIOLIN’ AND ‘PROBATION.’ IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. [Illustration] LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON, Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen. 1880. [_All Rights Reserved._] [Illustration] CONTENTS OF VOL. II. STAGE II.—_Continued._ CHAPTER PAGE VI. IN DANGER 1 VII. THE WORKING OF THE SPELL 47 VIII. THE FIRST OF BRENTWOOD 77 IX. ‘DON’T FRET’ 115 X. INDIAN SUMMER 133 STAGE III. I. INTERMEDIATE 139 II. LEBENDE BILDER 149 III. THE SECOND MEETING 163 IV. HERR FALKENBERG’S FRIENDSHIP 185 V. THE LION AND THE MOUSE 206 VI. UNAWARES 221 VII. ‘AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS’ 229 VIII. FATHER SOMERVILLE GATHERS THE THREADS TOGETHER 249 IX. ABSCHIED UND RÜCKKEHR 264 [Illustration] =THE WELLFIELDS.= =STAGE II=—_Continued._ CHAPTER VI. IN DANGER. ‘Oh Death, that makest life so sweet! Oh fear, with mirth before thy feet!’ WHEN Nita and Jerome again arrived at the Abbey, they found that Mr. Bolton had returned from Burnham, and that the midday dinner, which was an institution in the family, was waiting for them. ‘Have you settled anything?—has Nita helped you?’ inquired Mr. Bolton. ‘Miss Bolton has been very kind indeed, and has probably saved me from wasting a great deal of my small stock of money,’ replied Jerome. ‘Ah!’ said Mr. Bolton, appreciatively, ‘that’s always something gained.’ He asked his daughter what she was going to do that afternoon, and Nita said she was going to drive to the town of Clyderhow to do a little shopping. ‘Why Clyderhow? The shops in Burnham are a great deal better.’ ‘Because I like the drive to Clyderhow,’ said Nita; ‘and there is a wonderful milliner there. Aunt Margaret got a bonnet from her with five ostrich tips in it, and a bird, and three bows of black satin ribbon, and a great deal of velvet, for the sum of two guineas.’ ‘So you go by the quantity of stuff you get for your money when you choose bonnets?’ asked Mr. Bolton. ‘Aunt Margaret does. She likes plumes. I thought I might perhaps find something sweetly modest and simple, with one feather and one bow, and a little flower or sprig for instance, for next to nothing.’