she found her still in that heavy sleep; and with directions to Hannah to call her

he only sound she heard was the regular breathing of Hannah, who slept on a cot on the o

of something unusual; what was it, good or i

per which represented so much; oh! what a pleasure it was to have the power of doing so much good; then with a shock came the reme

AR

who can help me out of it. If you can't, there is nothing for me but to be

tter out of sight; but it had been enough in her weak state to startle her out of her self-contro

, and having violently resisted his captors, they had found it necessary to handcuff him, and when Lena saw him he was being forced along between two policemen, still fiercely struggling, and

ple when arrested were not apt to resist as desperately as the unhappy youth whom she had seen; but not being accustomed to go to Mrs. Neville with her joys or troubles, Lena had kept her disagreeable experience to herself and supposed it all to be the necessary co

mfort of others, which was often as trying as if he purposely sought first his own good. He would not have told a falsehood, would not have denied any wrong-doing of which he had been guilty, if taxed with it; but he would not scruple to conceal that wrong, or to evade the consequences thereof, by any means short of a deliberate untruth. His faults were

unusual request at this time of night would arouse wonder and surmise, even if Hannah could be induced to bring her the letter and give her sufficient light to read it. The old nurse would think her crazy or delirious, perhaps run and call her aunt and uncle. No, no; that was not to be thought of, the poor child said to herself as she lay and reasoned this all out; she must wait till the day came, and then she must contrive to read the letter when she was alone.

first. Oh, if she only knew all

without attracting attention to it. Being totally unaccustomed to anything like manoeuvring or planning, she could think of no excuse by which she might have the table brought near her chair, or the chair rolled near the table. The maids thought her remarkably fractious and whimsical and hard to pl

were taken upstairs, departed for Lena's breakfast; and after she had gone, Lena speedily bethought herself of a way of

he nursery, she sent her into her own room, bidding her open

Mrs. Neville's own heart, discharged her commission and came back with the letter, which she hande

o be absent for some moments yet, and sure that Letitia, who was a dull, un

o her sister; Letitia did not return, having stopped on her way back to the nursery to gossip w

voice so changed from its natural tone t

er sister's side; "is your throat sore? Oh!" scan

t heed eith

ice, as if it were an effort to speak, "put

the child, "I'm forbid

forget

th a strong effort for self-control,

my writing-desk and put this letter in it and shut the door tig

by conscientious scr

windows are all open. She didn't say don't go in there, but I 'spect she

life Lena condescended t

your poor sister who cannot wa

wing her arms about Lena, "I don't care if Hannah does scold me; I'd just as lief be sco

child turned to obey her request, but was agai

me, shall I tell them to

that she must take the child, at least in a mea

no one; and you are not to speak of it, Elsie

nner, the little one obeyed and ret

with it, for it would not yield. Meanwhile Letitia, hearing Hannah come up from the kitchen, had hurriedly returned to her post of duty. She exclaimed on finding the

maid. "You here in this cold draught, Miss

"what Hannah would say;" for the old nurse came bustling in in a transport of indignation at finding Elsie exposed to the risk of taking cold, for she was a very delicate child. She rated both her little charge and her assistant in no measured terms, especially the latter, who, as she said, "had not even ha

at the unlucky document. "Bless me, if t'aint from Master Percy, an' to Miss Le

and over, scrutinizing it narrowly; but there was nothing to be learned from the address or the post-mark farther than that it was certainly from Percy, whose handwriting she well knew. Had she dared she would have ope

rting to her sister that Hannah had taken the letter from her and was putting it away. Poor Lena found her precautions of no avail, and she knew H

s," she said, throwing down the gauntlet with an

look in the beautiful dark eyes, now so unnaturally large and pathetic through illness and suffering, which Lena turned piteously upon her without answering, "there, there, child; never mind now. Heat you

he best advantage the dainty breakfast she had b

l too sick at heart, and seeing this

sked, as she bade Letitia remove the tray with its content

ave not heard that any one was ill. Letitia," in a tone of imperious command, very unu

was something wrong with Percy; he might not be ill-he was sure not to be if the absolutely tru

as put upon" more than any of the others. Now he had been sent away to school, while the rest were enjoying the unwonted liberty and pleasures of their uncle's house; and her affectionate old heart was often sore within her as she pondered over the wrongs she fancied he endured. She was not over-scrupulous as

taken the book. Then, by dint of adroit questioning of the other servants, she managed to ascertain, without letting them know that anything was wrong, that no letters had been carried to Lena that morning, but that Starr had handed her three on the previous afternoon. Lena had sp

elf. Percy was surely in some difficulty again, and both he and Lena were tr

s; and, indeed, Lena had no inclination for either, but was quite content to accept their verdict that she must keep absolutely quiet and try to recover from the over-excitement of yesterday. She did not wish to see any one; even Maggie and Bessie would not have been welcome visitors now when that dreadful secret was weighing upon her, and as for go

t to be able even to touch one's feet to the ground to go to find ou

nd thus she reasoned with herself; but had she known it, they were not without cause, for Hannah had resolved that she would find out what that letter contained. It must be said for

the doctor, who had been sent for, arrived, Hannah made a

. She carried the letter to a place where she could read it undisturbed and free from observation, and make herse

w too well the trouble which was weighing upon the heart and spirits of the sensitive young sister, and secretly sharing it with her. Hour after hour she pondered upon ways and means for relieving h