Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 726

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Various. Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 726

WAR AND TELEGRAPHY

NEARLY WRECKED

CHAPTER III. – WILFRED'S LETTER

CHAPTER IV. – THE JOURNEY

CHAPTER V. – SAVED

GEMS AT RANDOM STRUNG

THE INN AT BOLTON

ROCKBOUND

THE MONTH: SCIENCE AND ARTS

A FEARFUL SWING

TO MY ROBIN REDBREAST

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Time went by, and nothing happened to justify Mabel's fears. Wilfred seemed to be working hard and getting on well. His talent was pronounced unmistakable by the master under whom he was placed, and he himself was in good spirits about his future. But before very long matters began to change. His letters to Mabel were less frequent and shorter than they had been; he spoke with less openness and frankness of his doings; and it was evident to her that there was a something which he was careful to keep from her.

She longed to see Mr Merton, to hear from him what news he had of his son, and whether his ideas about Wilfred corresponded with her own; but she dared not speak to him about it. She knew how hard he had always been to Wilfred, how intolerant of all his faults; and she knew well there would be little mercy to be hoped for him at his father's hands if, as she suspected, he had been taking more to pleasure and less to work lately. She dared not even speak to her father of what she feared, for could she expect even him to think as leniently of her dear one as she did? So she had to go on from day to day keeping her trouble – which was not less difficult to bear because it was only suspected – to herself.

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'Most certainly.'

'And have you nothing to say?'

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