An hour was arranged for the meeting on the next day; the correspondence was left under the care of Agnes; and the courier's wife took her leave.
Weary and heartsick, Agnes lay down on the sofa, to rest and compose herself.

The careful nurse brought in a reviving cup of tea.

Her quaint gossip about herself and her occupations while Agnes had been away, acted as a relief to her mistress's overburdened mind.

They were still talking quietly, when they were startled by a loud knock at the house door.

Hurried footsteps ascended the stairs.