“She is ill,” Miss Drusilla answered, instantly, “she is perhaps unable to come, but I will go find her, I will tell her what horrible things you have said. Not but what you have treated her bad enough, Mrs. St. Alban, for her to have felt like taking vengeance upon you, but she would not have done this. I could sooner believe that some one of the many enemies you must have made in your heartless life has followed you here and tried to put an end to your flirtings and stealing other women’s husbands!” She did not know how keenly her shot told, for Sibyl had shut her eyes and seemed to have relapsed into a deep swoon again, and just then the hastily summoned physician entered the room, and the indignant spinster went out to find Nina, followed closely by her nephew. They found Nina’s door still locked. Miss Drusilla pounded, called, raved in vain. “I am afraid she has fallen into another swoon,” she said, looking anxiously into Talbot’s white, almost rigid face, as he hovered by her side. “I ought not to have left her alone, but she was so anxious to get me away, and I felt sure she would let Kitty stay with her all night!” “Indeed, then, Miss Drusilla, I almost went down upon my knees to her but she would not have me. She sent me away in spite of all I could beg her to let me stay,” said Kitty’s voice right over her shoulder. “Oh, me, my poor young mistress, what has happened to you all alone in there? Perhaps you have been murdered, too!” she cried, bursting into a storm of tears. “Talbot, you will have to do something--cannot you break the door down? She must not stay in there by herself!” exclaimed his aunt, displaying a tenderness of heart he had not dreamed of under her sour exterior. Maddened by excitement he threw himself against the door. He did not know that he was so strong, but the lock yielded to the mighty pressure and burst from the door. It flew wide open, and they all tumbled pell-mell into the spacious apartment, the snowy, lace-draped bower of maiden innocence where Nina nightly pillowed her golden head. The fire had burned into ashes, the lamp flickered dimly on the toilet table. Kitty ran to the bed that stood like a great drift of new fallen snow in a corner of the room, and drew back the voluminous lace draperies. “Oh, Miss Nina, darling!” she cried. Talbot waited at the door, too chivalrous to follow them into the sanctuary Nina had forbidden him, but Miss Drusilla was just behind Kitty, and a cry of dismay escaped her: “Oh, oh, oh!” For the great mound of whiteness, the silken coverlet, the embroidered pillows, were smooth and empty, no golden head rested there, no slender maidenly form. Nina was gone! Kitty dived into the dressing-room, the boudoir, the bath room--all in vain.