Amias had not long lost his mother, and the old house at Chelsea was empty when he took Verity there after their brief honeymoon.

She was almost frightened at its magnificence until her husband explained to her that they would be too poor to keep it all for themselves, and that a friend of his had taken the drawing-room floor and would live with them.
Such were the outlines of the story related by Malcolm, but in reality much of it was only learnt later on from Verity's lips; but even the slight sketch as Malcolm told it affected Anna almost to tears.
"Oh, how she must have loved him!" were her first words when he had finished.

"Malcolm, I know you will laugh at my enthusiasm, but I think Mr.Keston is one of the grandest and noblest of men.

What a friend he has been to her all her life--she owes her life and peace and happiness to him! What would have become of her when she left the hospital if he had not cared for her and placed her with those kind people at the farm ?" "One can easily answer that question," returned Malcolm; "she would not have been alive now.

Her nerves were fearfully shattered, Anna, and she was as weak as a baby when she arrived at the Hill Farm.