"How can I speak!--how can I tell all!" she moaned, as she hurried guiltily back to her own room to remove the still damp and draggled garments. "It is too horrible. Oh," she cried, fiercely now in her desperation, "if he would but die!" "Oh, my dear, how pale and white you do look," said Martha at breakfast-time; and Dinah gazed at her wildly, as if in dread lest she knew all. "I feel as sure as sure that we both had something that didn't agree with us yesterday, though I can't say for the moment what. Yes, my dear, I didn't really know how it was, but I felt poorly all day yesterday, and grew so drowsy at last that I went off fast asleep. Did you come and find me then?" "Yes, I came and found you," said Dinah dreamily, as the whole scene of the previous night came back. "Of course it was very strange, but it was so kind of you not to wake me. But I'm better now--all but a headache. Does yours ache too?" "Yes, Martha, badly," said Dinah, with a sigh, as for a moment she pondered about taking the old woman into her confidence. "I thought it did. There; have a good cup of tea. You'll be better then. Will master be back to-day?" "I hope so, Martha," said Dinah, with a sigh; and then hope came to revive her once more. For he would come and bring news of Clive, who must know all, and then there would be safety--protection, and no more of this abject fear. In the afternoon news reached the cottage that there had been an accident at the mine, where early that morning Mr Sturgess, the foreman, had fallen down one of the lower shafts, and severely cut and injured his left shoulder. CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. A NEW HORROR. Letters reached the cottage at frequent intervals after the Major's return, in which as he breathed in every line his intense affection, Clive fretted at the chain which still bound him to London. For, as he explained at length, a heavy blow had been struck at the mining company, bringing ruin upon those who had shown a want of faith, though the stability of the property was not really stirred. The rumour which had so rapidly spread had had its influence though, and time would be needed before many people would believe in the truth, and it was for the protection of the property, and to save other shareholders from following the panic-stricken party, that Clive felt compelled to be in town. Then, too, he sent a shiver through Dinah, as he wrote to her about his troubles at the mine.