This gleam fell upon a man on horseback who was jogging slowly along, and whom Mr.Gilfil recognized, in spite of diminished rotundity, as Daniel Knott, the coachman who had married the rosy-cheeked Dorcas ten years before.
Every new incident suggested the same thought to Mr.Gilfil; and his eye no sooner fell on Knott than he said to himself 'Can he be come to tell us anything about Caterina ?' Then he remembered that Caterina had been very fond of Dorcas, and that she always had some present ready to send her when Knott paid an occasional visit to the Manor.

Could Tina have gone to Dorcas?
But his heart sank again as he thought, very likely Knott had only come because he had heard of Captain Wybrow's death, and wanted to know how his old master had borne the blow.
As soon as the carriage reached the house, he went up to his study and walked about nervously, longing, but afraid, to go down and speak to Knott, lest his faint hope should be dissipated.

Any one looking at that face, usually so full of calm goodwill, would have seen that the last week's suffering had left deep traces.

By day he had been riding or wandering incessantly, either searching for Caterina himself, or directing inquiries to be made by others.

By night he had not known sleep--only intermittent dozing, in which he seemed to be finding Caterina dead, and woke up with a start from this unreal agony to the real anguish of believing that he should see her no more.