And who was to break the terrible tidings to his daughter? People asked one another the question with bated breath and anxious eyes, as they stood around. Who was to go and tell her, that her father, to whom she had bidden a playful good-bye an hour ago, was dead, that that smiling wave of his hand had been, Farewell for ever!
It was about eleven o'clock, and Helen was sitting at the piano, playing snatches of different things, unable to settle down to any special song or piece. She had felt curiously restless all the morning, and was thinking that she would run over and have a chat with Mrs. Home,—for she was too idle to do anything else,—when a sudden loud sob made her start up from the music-stool and turn round somewhat nervously.
There she beheld her ayah, Fatima, staring at her through the purdah, but the instant she was discovered, she quickly dropped it, and vanished. It never occurred to Helen to connect Fatima's tears with herself, or her affairs; it was more than probable that she had been having a quarrel with her husband, and that they had been beating one another, as was their wont,—when words were exhausted. She was thinking of following her handmaiden, but she believed it would only be the old story, "Abdul, plenty bad man, very wicked rascal," when her ear caught the sound of footsteps coming up the front pathway. They halted, then it was not Mrs. Creery; she never did that, and peeping over the blind, she beheld to her amazement, Mr. Latimer and Mrs. Home. And Mrs. Home was crying, what could it be? And they were both coming to her.
A pang of apprehension seemed to seize her heart with a clutch of ice, some unknown, some dreadful trouble was on its way to her. She sprang down the steps and met them, saying,—
"What is the matter? Oh! Mr. Latimer, you have come to tell me something—something," growing very white, "about papa?"
Mr. Latimer himself was deadly pale, and seemed to find considerable difficulty in speaking. At last he said,—
"Yes; he has been hurt on the ranges."
"Then let me go to him at once—at once."
"Oh, my dear, my dear," cried Mrs. Home, bursting into tears, "you must prepare yourself for trouble."