“Dear mother Kenton,—­I am sitting by Richard, writing at his request, about what he has done.  He received a letter from New York telling him of the Bittridges’ performances there, and how that wretch had insulted and abused you all.  He bought a cowhide; meaning to go over to Ballardsville, and use it on him there, but B. came over on the Accommodation this morning, and Richard met him at the station.  He did not attempt to resist, for Richard took him quite by surprise.  Now, Mother Kenton, you know that Richard doesn’t approve of violence, and the dear, sweet soul is perfectly broken-down by what he had to do.  But he had to do it, and he wishes you to know at, once that he did it.  He dreads the effect upon Ellen, and we must leave it to your judgment about telling her.  Of course, sooner or later she must find it out.  You need not be alarmed about Richard.  He is just nauseated a little, and he will be all right as soon as his stomach is settled.  He thinks you ought to have this letter before you sail, and with affectionate good-byes to all, in which Dick joins,
               “Your loving daughter,
“Mary Kenton.”

“There!  Will that do?”

“Yes, that is everything that can be said,” answered Richard, and Mary kissed him gratefully before sealing her letter.

“I will put a special delivery on it,” she said, and her precaution availed to have the letter delivered to Mrs. Kenton the evening the family left the hotel, when it was too late to make any change in their plans, but in time to give her a bad night on the steamer, in her doubt whether she ought to let the family go, with this trouble behind them.

But she would have had a bad night on the steamer in any case, with the heat, and noise, and smell of the docks; and the steamer sailed with her at six o’clock the next morning with the doubt still open in her mind.  The judge had not been of the least use to her in helping solve it, and she had not been able to bring herself to attack Lottie for writing to Richard.  She knew it was Lottie who had made the mischief, but she could not be sure that it was mischief till she knew its effect upon Ellen.  The girl had been carried in the arms of one of the stewards from the carriage to her berth in Lottie’s room, and there she had lain through the night, speechless and sleepless.

IX.

Ellen did not move or manifest any consciousness when the steamer left her dock and moved out into the stream, or take any note of the tumult that always attends a great liner’s departure.  At breakfast-time her mother came to her from one of the brief absences she made, in the hope that at each turn she should find her in a different mood, and asked if she would not have something to eat.

“I’m not hungry,” she answered.  “When will it sail?”

“Why, Ellen!  We sailed two hours ago, and the pilot has just left us.”