The presents that she had received, since her arrival at Mount Morven, were all laid out so that they could be easily seen by any person entering the room, after she had left the house.

On the sofa lay the pretty new dress which she had worn at the evening party.

Other little gifts were arranged on either side of it.

The bracelet, resting on the pedestal of a statue close by, kept a morsel of paper in its place--on which she had written a few penitent words of farewell addressed to Mrs.Linley.On the toilet-table three photographic portraits showed themselves among the brushes and combs.
She sat down, and looked first at the likenesses of Mrs.Linley and Kitty.
Had she any right to make those dear faces her companions in the future?
She hesitated; her tears dropped on the photographs.

"They're as good as spoiled now," she thought; "they're no longer fit for anybody but me." She paused, and abruptly took up the third and last photograph--the likeness of Herbert Linley.
Was it an offense, now, even to look at his portrait?
No idea of leaving it behind her was in her mind.