Pauncefort left the room accordingly, and straightway proceeded to Lady Annabel, when she communicated the information that Miss Venetia was in the house, after all, though she had never seen her return, and that she was lying down because she had a very bad headache.  Lady Annabel, of course, did not lose a moment in visiting her darling.  She entered the room softly, so softly that she was not heard; Venetia was lying on her bed, with her back to the door.  Lady Annabel stood by her bedside for some moments unnoticed.  At length Venetia heaved a deep sigh.  Her mother then said in a soft voice, ’Are you in pain, darling?’

‘Is that mamma?’ said Venetia, turning with quickness.

‘You are ill, dear,’ said Lady Annabel, taking her hand.  ’Your hand is hot; you are feverish.  How long has my Venetia felt ill?’

Venetia could not answer; she did nothing but sigh.  Her strange manner excited her mother’s wonder.  Lady Annabel sat by the bedside, still holding her daughter’s hand in hers, watching her with a glance of great anxiety.

‘Answer me, my love,’ she repeated in a voice of tenderness.  ’What do you feel?’

‘My head, my head,’ murmured Venetia.

Her mother pressed her own hand to her daughter’s brow; it was very hot.  ‘Does that pain you?’ inquired Lady Annabel; but Venetia did not reply; her look was wild and abstracted.  Her mother gently withdrew her hand, and then summoned Pauncefort, with whom she communicated without permitting her to enter the room.

‘Miss Herbert is very ill,’ said Lady Annabel, pale, but in a firm tone.  ’I am alarmed about her.  She appears to me to have fever; send instantly to Southport for Mr. Hawkins; and let the messenger use and urge all possible expedition.  Be in attendance in the vestibule, Pauncefort; I shall not quit her room, but she must be kept perfectly quiet.’

Lady Annabel then drew her chair to the bedside of her daughter, and bathed her temples at intervals with rose-water; but none of these attentions apparently attracted the notice of the sufferer.  She was, it would seem, utterly unconscious of all that was occurring.  She now lay with her face turned towards her mother, but did not exchange even looks with her.  She was restless, and occasionally she sighed deeply.

Once, by way of experiment, Lady Annabel again addressed her, but Venetia gave no answer.  Then the mother concluded what, indeed, had before attracted her suspicion, that Venetia’s head was affected.  But then, what was this strange, this sudden attack, which appeared to have prostrated her daughter’s faculties in an instant?  A few hours back, and Lady Annabel had parted from Venetia in all the glow of health and beauty.  The season was most genial; her exercise had doubtless been moderate; as for her general health, so complete was her constitution, and so calm the tenour of her life, that Venetia had scarcely experienced in her whole career a single hour of indisposition.