Fern looked at him wistfully; all her heart seemed to go out to this sad, noble-looking man. Crystal had not said too much in his praise; but he looked older than she had imagined--for pain and the knowledge of his shorn and wasted powers had aged him, and there was certainly no youth in his aspect. "Oh," she said, eagerly, for she longed to say something that would comfort him, "I think sometimes that there is no one so good as Crystal--we have all grown to love her so. She has such high-spirited, troublesome pupils; but she is so patient with them when they are ill, she nurses them, and she has more influence over them than the mother; and she is always so kind and thoughtful, and no one ever sees her cross. She is angry with Percy sometimes; but then he deserves it; and she will not take any pleasure, but all she thinks about is to do little kindnesses for people; and though she is so unhappy that she has grown quite thin with fretting, she tries not to let us see it." "Has she told you all about herself?" he asked, in a very low voice. "Yes, and it is that that makes her so unhappy. Oh, she told me all about it, and I thought she would never, never stop crying--it preys upon her mind, and her remorse will not let her be happy: she seems to dread even forgiveness. 'I go back to him, when I have blighted his life and darkened his days?' oh! you should have heard the despair in her voice when she said that, Mr. Ferrers," and here Fern's sweet tones trembled. "Mother and I sometimes think that it will kill her in time, unless she has help and comfort." "Do not fear, Miss Trafford, she shall have both soon; it will not be long before I find her." "But she is in America--at least, she is on her way there." "There are other steamers than the one in which she has crossed," returned Raby, with a smile. "I suppose she means to write to you?" "Oh, yes, she will write from every place--she has promised me long letters, and of course Mrs. Norton will hear from Miss Campion; do you really mean to follow her, Mr. Ferrers?" "Yes; and to the world's end if it be necessary. I have a strong will, and even blindness will not hinder me. Tell me how did she seem last night; did she leave cheerfully?" "Well, no, Crystal puzzled us all night," returned Fern, quickly; "she went out to bid good-bye to her pupils, and Percy waylaid her, as usual, but she got rid of him somehow; but she was out a long time, and she would not give us any reason; but when she came back her eyes were swelled, and she had a dreadful headache, and yet she said Percy had nothing to do with it." A sudden, wild idea flashed into Raby's mind. "How was she dressed, Miss Trafford--I mean what colored gown did she wear?" Fern seemed surprised at the question. "Oh, her old brown gown--she was all in brown, I think;" but she did not understand why Mr. Ferrers seemed so strangely agitated at her answer.