and over again as she uttered no sound and as her dumb motions like most of her gestures were of a very extraordinary kind this unintelligible conduct reduced mr britain to the of despair he stared at this table at the stranger at the at his wife � followed hear with looks of deep amazement and perplexity � asked in the same language was it property in danger was it he in danger was it answered her with other expressive of the deepest distress and confusion � followed the motions of her lips � guessed half aloud milk and water monthly warning and � and couldn t aj her meaning gave it up at last as a hope ss attempt and moving her chair by very slow degrees a little nearer to the stranger sat with her eyes apparently cast down but glancing sharply at him now and then waiting until he should ask some other question she had not to wait long for he said presently the battle op life � � and what is the after history of the young lady who went away they know it i suppose shook her head i ve heard she said that doctor is thought to know more of it than he tells miss has had letters from her sister saying that she was well and happy and made much happier by her being married to mr alfred and has written letters back but there s a mystery about her life and fortunes altogether which nothing has cleared up to this hour and which � she faltered here and stopped and which � repeated the stranger which only one other person i believe could explain said drawing her breath quickly who may that be asked the stranger mr michael answered almost in a shriek at once conveying to her husband what she would have had him understand before and letting michael know that he was recognized you remember me sir said trembling with emotion i saw just now you did you remember me that night in the garden i was with her yes you were he said yes sir returned yes to be sure this is my husband if you please ben dear ben run to miss grace � run to mr alfred � run re ben bring somebody here directly stay said michael quietly himself between the door and britain what would you do let them know that you are here sir answered clapping her hands in sheer agitation let them know that they may hear of her from your own lips let them know that she is not quite lost to them but that she will come home again yet to bless her father and her loving even her old servant even the battle of life me she struck herself upon the breast both hands with a sight of her sweet face ben run i and still she him on toward the door and still mr before it with his hand stretched out not angrily but sorrowfully or perhaps said running past her husband and catching in her emotion at mr s cloak the s here now perhaps she s dose by i think from your manner she is let me see her sir if you please i waited on her when she was a little child i saw her grow to be the pride of all this place i knew her when she was mr alfred s promised wife i tried to warn her when you tempted her away i know what her old home was when she was like the soul of it and how it changed when she was gone and lost let me speak to her if you please he gazed at her with compassion not with wonder but he made no gesture of assent i don t think she can know pursued how truly forgive her how they love her what joy it would be to to sec her once more she may be of going home if she sees me it may give her new heart only tell me truly mr is she with you she is not he answered shaking his head this answer and his manner and his black dress and his coming back so quietly and his announced intention of continuing to live abroad explained it all was dead he didn t contradict her yes she was dead sat down hid her face upon the table and cried at that moment a gray headed old gentleman came running in quite out of breath and panting so much that his voice was scarcely to be recognized as the voice of mr good heaven mr i said the lawyer taking him aside what wind has blown � he was so blown himself that he couldn t get on any further until after a pause when he added feebly you here the battle of life an ill wind x am answered if you have rd what l passed r w i have been and entreated to perform � what confusion and affliction i carry with me can guess it all � but why did you come here my good retorted j how i know who k t the house when i � fi servant on to you i strolled in here because the place new to me and i had a natural curiosity in every thing new and in these old a i it was the x wn i with you re appearing there i know what people would say to m i by your that you can tell me if it were not fer your confounded i should have been possessed of every thing long ago our caution returned the lawyer speaking for self and � deceased here mr glancing at his hat band shook his head how can you reasonably blame us mr it was understood between us that the subject was never to be and that it wasn t a subject 