It was always a comfort to her to think that she had gone, though it wasonly to hear that he had died in the night. She saw the rooms that he hadoccupied, and associated them ever after most fondly in her memorywith the idea of her father, and his one cherished and faithful friend.
They had promised Edith before starting, that if all had ended as theyfeared, they would return to dinner; so that long, lingering look aroundthe room in which her father had died, had to be interrupted, and a quietfarewell taken of the kind old face that had so often come out withpleasant words, and merry quips and cranks.
Captain Lennox fell asleep on their journey home; and Margaret couldcry at leisure, and bethink her of this fatal year, and all the woes it hadbrought to her. No sooner was she fully aware of one loss than anothercame--not to supersede her grief for the one before, but to re-openwounds and feelings scarcely healed. But at the sound of the tendervoices of her aunt and Edith, of merry little Sholto"s glee at her arrival,and at the sight of the well-lighted rooms, with their mistress pretty inher paleness and her eager sorrowful interest, Margaret roused herselffrom her heavy trance of almost superstitious hopelessness, and beganto feel that even around her joy and gladness might gather. She hadEdith"s place on the sofa; Sholto was taught to carry aunt Margaret"s cupof tea very carefully to her; and by the time she went up to dress, shecould thank God for having spared her dear old friend a long or apainful illness.