Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. CONFIDENTIAL. MARTIN JOCELYN awoke with a shiver. He did not remember that he had been dreaming, but a dull pain in his head and a foreboding of heart had at last so asserted themselves as to banish the unconsciousness of sleep. His prospects had even a more sombre hue than the cold gray of the morning. All the false prismatic colors of the previous evening had faded, and no serene, steady light had taken their place. The forced elation was followed—as is ever the case—by a deeper despondency. The face of his sleeping wife was so peaceful, so expressive of her utter unconsciousness of impending disaster, that he could not endure its sight. He felt himself to be in no condition to meet her waking eyes and explain the cause of his fears. A sense of shame that he had been 90 weak the evening before also oppressed him, and he yielded to the impulse to gain a day before meeting her trusting or questioning gaze. Something might occur which would give a better- aspect to his affairs, and at any rate, if the worst must come, he could explain with better grace in the evening than in his present wretched mood, that would prove too sharp a contrast with his recent gayety. He therefore dressed silently and hastily, and left a note saying that a business engagement required his early departure. " She will have at least one more serene day before the storm," he muttered. " Now wasn't that kind and thoughtful of papa to let us all sleep late after the company !" said Mrs. Jocelyn to Mildred. " He went away, too, without his breakfast," and in her gentle solicitude she scarcely ate any herself. But weakly hiding trouble for a day was not kindness. The wife and daughter, who should have helped to take in sail in preparation lor the threatened storm, were left unconsciou...