be impossible, as all her avocations had fallen into arrear, and she had to find a couple of servants as well as a house for the Merrifields. This took her in the direction of the works, and Gillian proposed to go with her as far as the Giles's, there to sit a little while with Lilian, for whom she had a new book.
'My dear, surely you must be tired out!' exclaimed the stay-at-home aunt.
'Oh no, Aunt Ada! Quite freshened by that blow on the common.'
And Miss Mohun was not sorry, thinking that to leave Gillian free to come home by herself would be the best refutation of Mrs. Mount's doubts of her.
They had not, however, gone far on their way-on the walk rather unfrequented at this time of day-before Gillian exclaimed, 'Is that Kally? Oh! and who is that with her?' For there certainly was a figure in somewhat close proximity, the ulster and pork-pie hat being such as to make the gender doubtful.
'How late she is! I am afraid her mother is worse,' said Miss Mohun, quickening her steps a little, and, at the angle of the road, the pair in front perceived them. Kalliope turned towards them; the companion-about whom there was no doubt by that time-gave a petulant motion and hastened out of sight.
In another moment they were beside Kalliope, who looked shaken and trembling, with tears in her eyes, which sprang forth at the warm pressure of her hand.
'I am afraid Mrs. White is not so well,' said Miss Mohun kindly.
'She is no worse, I think, thank you, but I was delayed. Are you going this way? May I walk with you?'
'I will come with you to the office,' said Miss Mohun, perceiving that she was in great need of an escort and protector.
'Oh, thank you, thank you, if it is not too much out of your way.'
A few more words passed about Mrs. White's illness and what advice she was having. Miss Mohun could not help thinking that the daughter did not quite realise the extent of the illness, for she added-
'It was a good deal on the nerves and mind. She was so anxious about Mr. James White's arrival.'
'Have you not seen him?'
'Oh no! Not yet.'
'I think you will be agreeably surprised,' said Gillian. And here they left her at Mrs. Giles's door.
'Yes,' added Miss Mohun, 'he gave me the idea of a kind, just man.'
'Miss Mohun,' said the poor girl, as soon as they were tete-a-tete, 'I know you are very good. Will you tell me what I ought to do? You saw just now-'
'I did; and I have heard.'
Her face was all in a flame and her voice choked. 'He says-Mr. Frank does-that his mother has found out, and that she will tell her own story to Mr. White; and-and we shall all get the sack, as he calls it; and it will be utter misery, and he will not stir a finger to vindicate me; but if I will listen to him, he will speak to Mr. White, and bear me through; but I can't-I can't. I know he is a bad man; I know how he treated poor Edith Vane. I never can; and how shall I keep out of his way?'
'My poor child,' said Miss Mohun, 'it is a terrible position for you; but you are doing quite right. I do not believe Mr. White would go much by what that young man says, for I know he does not think highly of him.'
'But he does go altogether by Mr. Stebbing-altogether, and I know he-Mr. Stebbing, I mean-can't bear us, and would not keep us on if he could help it. He has been writing for another designer-an artist-instead of me.'
'Still, you would be glad to have the connection severed?'
'Oh yes, I should be glad enough to be away; but what would become of my mother and the children?'
'Remember your oldest friends are on their way home; and I will try to speak to Mr. White myself.'
They had reached the little door of Kalliope's office, which she could open with a latch-key, and Miss Mohun was just about to say some parting words, when there was a sudden frightful rumbling sound, something between a clap of thunder and the carting of stones, and the ground shook under their feet, while a cry went up-loud, horror- struck men and women's voices raised in dismay.
Jane had heard that sound once before. It was the fall of part of the precipitous cliff, much of which had been quarried away. But in spite of all precautions, frost and rain were in danger of loosening the remainder, and wire fences were continually needing to be placed to prevent the walking above on edges that might be perilous.
Where was it? What had it done? was the instant thought. Kalliope turned as pale as death; the girls came screaming and thronging out of their workshop, the men from their sheds, the women from the cottages, as all thronged to the more open space beyond the buildings where they could see, while Miss Mohun found herself clasped by her trembling niece.
Others were rushing up from the wharf. One moment's glance showed all familiar with the place that a projecting point, forming a sort of cusp in the curve of the bay, had gone, and it lay, a great shattered mass, fragments spreading far and wide, having crashed through the roof of a stable that stood below.
There was a general crowding forward to the spot, and crying and exclamation, and a shouting of 'All right' from above and below. Had any one come down with it? A double horror seized Miss Mohun as she remembered that her cousin was to inspect those parts that very afternoon.
She caught at the arm of a man and demanded, 'Was any one up there?'
'Master's there, and some gentlemen; but they hain't brought down with it,' said the man. 'Don't be afraid, miss. Thank the Lord, no one was under the rock-horses even out at work.'
'Thank God, indeed!' exclaimed Miss Mohun, daring now to look up, and seeing, not very distinctly, some figures of men, who, however, were too high up and keeping too far from the dangerous broken edge for recognition.
Room was made for the two ladies, by the men who knew Miss Mohun, to push forward, so as to have a clearer view of the broken wall and roof of the stable, and the great ruddy blue and white veined mass of limestone rock, turf, and bush adhering to what had been the top.
There was a moment's silence through the crowd, a kind of awe at the spectacle and the possibilities that had been mercifully averted.
Then one of the men said-
'That was how it was. I saw one of them above-not Stebbing-No- coming out to the brow; and after this last frost, not a doubt but that must have been enough to bring it down.'
'Not railed off, eh?' said the voice of young Stebbing from among the crowd.
'Well, it were marked with big stones where the rail should go,' said another. 'I know, for I laid 'em myself; but there weren't no orders given.'
'There weren't no stones either. Some one been and took 'em away,' added the first speaker.
'I see how it is,' Frank Stebbing's metallic voice could plainly be heard, flavoured with an oath. 'This is your neglect, White, droning, stuck-up sneak as you always were and will be! I shall report this. Damage to property, and maybe life, all along of your confounded idleness.'
And there were worse imprecations, which made Miss Mohun break out in a tone of shocked reproof-
'Mr. Stebbing!'
'I beg your pardon, Miss Mohun; I was not aware of your presence-'
'Nor of a Higher One,' she could not help interposing, while he went on justifying himself.
'It is the only way to speak to these fellows; and it is enough to drive one mad to see what comes of the neglect of a conceited young ass above his business. Life and property-'
'But life is safe, is it not?' she interrupted with a shudder.
'Ay, ay, ma'am,' said the voice of the workman, 'or we should know it by this time.'
But at that moment a faint, gasping cry caught Jane's ear.
Others heard it too. It was a child's voice, and grew stronger after a moment. It came from the corner of the shed outside the stable.
'Oh, oh!' cried the women, pressing forward, 'the poor little Fields!'
Then it was recollected that Mrs. Field-one of those impracticable women on whom the shafts of school officers were lost, and who was always wandering in the town-had been seen going out, leaving two small children playing about, the younger under the charge of the elder. The father was a carter, and had been sent on some errand with the horses.
This passed while anxious hands were struggling with stones and earth, foremost among them Alexis White. The utmost care was needful to prevent the superincumbent weight from falling in and crushing the life there certainly was beneath, happily not the rock from above, but some of the debris of the stable. Frank Stebbing and the foreman had to drive back anxious crowds, and keep a clear space.
