May he love and may he praise Thee.
Day by day.
Every morning, on rising, she was in the habit of reading a few verses from the Bible, and one of the verses she had read to-day had been: "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." She remembered it now, and was comforted.
Though she did not sleep till late, Josephine was downstairs before May the following morning, and waiting in the garden when the postman arrived. Her face was alight with expectancy as she ran to meet the man; but it was grave and troubled when she returned to the house, for neither of the two envelopes the postman had given her bore her father's handwriting.
"Another disappointment, Uncle John," she said, with a little choke in her voice, as she met Mr. Basset in the hall, "there's nothing from father. Here are two letters, both addressed to you. One, I think, is only a circular."
"Yes, only a circular," Mr. Basset said, taking the letters from her and glancing at them hurriedly, "and the other is of no importance."
He turned sharply away from her and went into the breakfast-room as he spoke. It struck Josephine that his manner was strange, and one thing was quite evident—he did not wish to talk to her. She felt hurt, for hitherto he had always been most sympathetic concerning her father.
In the middle of the morning, whilst the little girls were at lessons with their governess, Dr. Farrant arrived at the Glen again. This time he saw Miss Basset as well as her brother, and by and by Josephine was sent for to come to the study. She guessed at once that news had been received of her father, and flew downstairs with white cheeks and a wildly beating heart.
In the doorway of the study she paused. Miss Basset was seated in an easy chair, her handkerchief held to her eyes, and Dr. Farrant and Mr. Basset were standing by the writing-table, the latter with a telegram in his hand.
It was Dr. Farrant who stepped quickly to Josephine's side, and drew her into the room.