Mr. Bell did not make his appearance even on the day to which he hadfor a second time deferred his visit. The next morning there came aletter from Wallis, his servant, stating that his master had not beenfeeling well for some time, which had been the true reason of hisputting off his journey; and that at the very time when he should haveset out for London, he had been seized with an apoplectic fit; it was,indeed, Wallis added, the opinion of the medical men--that he could notsurvive the night; and more than probable, that by the time Miss Halereceived this letter his poor master would be no more.
Margaret received this letter at breakfast-time, and turned very pale asshe read it; then silently putting it into Edith"s hands, she left the room.
Edith was terribly shocked as she read it, and cried in a sobbing,frightened, childish way, much to her husband"s distress. Mrs. Shawwas breakfasting in her own room, and upon him devolved the task ofreconciling his wife to the near contact into which she seemed to bebrought with death, for the first time that she could remember in herlife. Here was a man who was to have dined with them to-day lyingdead or dying instead! It was some time before she could think ofMargaret. Then she started up, and followed her upstairs into her room.
Dixon was packing up a few toilette articles, and Margaret was hastilyputting on her bonnet, shedding tears all the time, and her handstrembling so that she could hardly tie the strings.
"Oh, dear Margaret! how shocking! What are you doing? Are you goingout? Sholto would telegraph or do anything you like."
"I am going to Oxford. There is a train in half-an-hour. Dixon hasoffered to go with me, but I could have gone by myself. I must see himagain. Besides, he may be better, and want some care. He has been likea father to me. Don"t stop me, Edith."
"But I must. Mamma won"t like it at all. Come and ask her about it,Margaret. You don"t know where you"re going. I should not mind if hehad a house of his own; but in his Fellow"s rooms! Come to mamma,and do ask her before you go. It will not take a minute."
Margaret yielded, and lost her train. In the suddenness of the event,Mrs. Shaw became bewildered and hysterical, and so the precious timeslipped by. But there was another train in a couple of hours; and aftervarious discussions on propriety and impropriety, it was decided thatCaptain Lennox should accompany Margaret, as the one thing to whichshe was constant was her resolution to go, alone or otherwise, by thenext train, whatever might be said of the propriety or impropriety of the step. Her father"s friend, her own friend, was lying at the point of death;and the thought of this came upon her with such vividness, that she wassurprised herself at the firmness with which she asserted something ofher right to independence of action; and five minutes before the time forstarting, she found herself sitting in a railway-carriage opposite toCaptain Lennox.