"Hilda," said Zillah, with increased sternness, "Lord Chetwynde and I will never meet again."
Hilda started back with unutterable astonishment on her face.
"Never meet again!" she repeated--"not meet Lord Chetwynde--your husband? What do you mean?"
"I am going to leave Chetwynde as soon as possible, and shall never again cross its threshold."
Hilda went over to Zillah and put her arms around her.
"Darling," said she, in her most caressing tones, "you are agitated. What is it? You are in trouble. What new grief can have come to you? Will you not tell me? Is there anyone living who can sympathize with you as I can?"
At these accents of kindness Zillah's fortitude gave way. She put her head on her friend's shoulder and sobbed convulsively. The tears relieved her. For a long time she wept in silence.
"I have no one now in the world but you, dearest Hilda. And you will not forsake me, will you?"
"Forsake you, my darling, my sister? forsake you? Never while I live! But why do you speak of flight and of being forsaken? What mad fancies have come over you?"
Zillah drew from her pocket the letter which she had read.