‘I can’t tell.  Don’t you think about it now,’ said Aunt Jane, feeling as if the girl were going to swoon on the spot in the shock.  ’Consequences are not in our hands.  Whatever it came from, and very sad it was, there was great mercy, and we have only to thank God it was no worse.’

When at last aunt and niece reached home, they had no sooner opened the front door than Adeline came almost rushing out of the drawing-room.

‘Oh! my dearest Jane,’ she cried, clasping and kissing her sister, ’wasn’t it dreadful?  Where were you?  Mr. White knows no one was hurt below, but I could not be easy till you came in.’

‘Mr. White!’

’Yes; Mr. White was so kind as to come and tell me—–­and about Rotherwood.’

‘What about Rotherwood?’ exclaimed Miss Mohun, advancing into the drawing-room, where Mr. White had risen from his seat.

’Nothing to be alarmed about.  Indeed, I assure you, his extraordinary presence of mind and agility—–­’

‘What was it?’ as she and Gillian each sank into a chair, the one breathless, the other with the faintness renewed by the fresh shock, but able to listen as Mr. White told first briefly, then with more detail, how—–­as the surveying party proceeded along the path at the top of the cliffs, he and Lord Rotherwood comparing recollections of the former outline, now much changed by quarrying—–­the Marquis had stepped out to a slightly projecting point; Mr. Stebbing had uttered a note of warning, knowing how liable these promontories were to break away in the end of winter, and happily Lord Rotherwood had turned and made a step or two back, when the rock began to give way under his feet, so that, being a slight and active man, a spring and bound forward had actually carried him safely to the firm ground, and the others, who had started back in self-preservation, then in horror, fully believing him borne down to destruction, saw him the next instant lying on his face on the path before them.  When on his feet, he had declared himself unhurt, and solely anxious as to what the fall of rock might have done beneath; but he was reassured by those cries of ‘All right’ which were uttered before the poor little Fields were discovered; and then, when the party were going to make their way down to inspect the effects of the catastrophe, he had found that he had not escaped entirely unhurt.  Of course he had been forced to leap with utter want of heed, only as far and wide as he could, and thus, though he had lighted on his feet, he had fallen against a stone, and pain and stiffness of shoulder made themselves apparent; though he would accept no help in walking back to the hotel, and was only anxious not to frighten his wife and daughter, and desired Mr. White, who had volunteered to go, to tell the ladies next door that he was convinced it was nothing, or, if anything, only a trifle of a collar-bone.  Mr. White had, since the arrival of the surgeon, made an expedition of inquiry, and heard this verdict confirmed, with the further assurance that there was no cause for anxiety.  The account of the damage and disaster below was new to him, as his partner had declared the stables to be certain to be empty, and moreover in need of being rebuilt; and he departed to find Mr. Stebbing and make inquiries.