"I have brought the keys," he said. "I found they were in Mr Thickens's charge. May I give you a word of advice?" "Always," said Mrs Hallam smiling; but he noticed that she was deadly pale. "I would not stay there long. I understand the feeling that prompts you to visit the old home again. See it and come away, for it must be full of painful memories; and now you must be firm and strong." "Yes, yes," she said quickly. "You will stay here?" "Certainly," he replied. "You are going out?" cried Julia. "I must see our old home again, before I go," said Mrs Hallam, in a sharp, nervous manner. "And I may go with you, dear?" pleaded Julia. "No; I must go alone," said her mother in a strained, imperious manner. "Stay here." For answer, Julia shrank back, but only for a moment. Then her arms were round her mother's neck, and she kissed her, saying: "Remember Mr Bayle's advice, dear. Come back soon." Mrs Hallam kissed her tenderly, nodded, and hurried into the house. Ten minutes later, as Julia was seated in the little drawing-room at the tinkling old square piano, and Bayle was leaning forward watching her hands, with his arms resting upon his knees, thinking--thinking of the boyish curate who, in that very place, had told of his first passion, and then gone heart-broken away, there was a quick step on the gravel, and he turned to see the dark, graceful figure of the woman he had loved, her face closely veiled, and her travelling satchel upon her arm, pass through the gate, which closed with a sharp click. "To stand face to face with the ghosts of her early married life," he said, in a low voice. "Heaven be merciful, and soften Thou her fate." He started, for as but a short time since Julia had heard her mother's audible thoughts, she had now heard his; and she was standing before him, pale, and with her hands clasped, as she looked in his care-lined face. "Julia--my child!" he said wonderingly. "I cannot bear it--I cannot bear it," she cried, bursting into a passionate fit of sobbing; and she fled from the room. VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER NINE. THE STRANGE QUEST. "She be going to look over the owd house again, Gorringe," shouted Gemp, as he watched the dark veiled figure. "You mark my words; they're a coming back, and he'll be keeping bank; and the sooner thou teks out thy money the better." There was a strange echo in the place that made a shudder run through Millicent Hallam's frame as she turned the key; but she had nerved herself to her task, and though hands and brow were damp, she did not hesitate, but went in. A quick glance told her that a couple of score pairs of eyes were watching her movements, but for that she was prepared, and, taking out the key, she inserted it in the inside of the lock, closed the door, and slipped one of the rusty bolts.