If you remain in the world to watch and help him, your son's nature, bad as it seems to be, may yet alter, for after all I know that he loves you.

But if you give up and leave the world, who can tell what will happen to him when he is quite uncontrolled and in possession of his fortune ?" Barbara recognised the truth of her father's words, and while he lived tried to act up to them.

But as it happened Mr.Walrond did not live long, for one evening he was found dead in the church, whither he often went to pray.
About this time the doctors told Barbara that her condition of health was somewhat serious.

It seemed that her lungs also showed signs of being affected.

Perhaps she had contracted the disease from her husband, and now that she was so broken in spirit, it asserted itself.