"God help us!" exclaimed the governess. "The train Mr. Vanstone travelled by?"
"The same. There are seven passengers badly hurt, and two------"
The next word failed on his lips; he raised his hand in the dead silence. With eyes that opened wide in horror he pointed over Miss Garth's shoulder. She turned to see her mistress standing on the threshold with staring, vacant eyes. With a dreadful stillness in her voice, she repeated the man's last words, "Seven passengers badly hurt, and two------"
Then she sank swooning into Miss Garth's arms.
From the shock of her husband's death, Mrs. Vanstone never recovered.
Heartbroken by the death of their parents, Norah and Magdalen had yet to learn the full extent of the tragedy. That was first made clear to Miss Garth by the lawyer.
Mr. Andrew Vanstone in his youth had joined the army and gone to Canada. There he had been entrapped by a woman, whom he had married--a woman so utterly vile and unprincipled that he was forced to leave her and return to England. Shortly afterwards his father died, and, having been estranged from his elder son, Michael Vanstone, bequeathed all his property to Andrew.
Andrew Vanstone passed his life in a round of vicious pleasures, but as his better nature had almost been destroyed by a woman, so now it was retrieved by a woman. He fell in love, told the girl of his heart the truth about himself, and she, out of the love she bore him, determined to pass the rest of her life by his side, and Norah and Magdalen were the children of their union.
"Tell me," said Miss Garth, in a voice faint with emotion, as the lawyer laid bare the sad story, "why did they go to London?"
"They went to London to be married," cried Mr. Pendril.
In the letter from New Orleans, Mr. Vanstone had heard of the death of his wife, and he had at once taken the necessary steps to make the woman who had so long been his wife in the eyes of God his wife in the eyes of the law. The story would never have been known had it not been for Frank's engagement to Magdalen. The soul of honour, Mr. Vanstone thought it his duty to inform Mr. Clare fully regarding his relations with Mrs. Vanstone. His old friend proved himself deeply sympathetic, and then, being a cautious man of business, inquired what steps Mr. Vanstone had taken to provide for his daughters. The master of Coombe-Raven replied that he had long ago made a will leaving them all he possessed. When Mr. Clare pointed out that his recent marriage automatically destroyed the effect of this testament, he was greatly distressed, and, hastening home, had at once telegraphed to Mr. Pendril to come to Coome-Raven to draw up another will without any loss of time. His tragic death had prevented the execution of this plan, and the inability of Mrs. Vanstone to sign any document before she died had resulted in Norah and Magdalen being left absolutely penniless, and the estates passing to Michael Vanstone.