ur arrangements," said the rich Charlotte, looking with her frank and pleasant eyes at the poor one. She rang a bell

ey believe my tale promises well, but they want it completed by the first of March, to come out

oice. "I have no doubt you will work hard and have it ready-but-but-I regret it much,

er cheeks as she added, "I don't understand you. I thought

well she used it; how keenly Mrs. Home

. It is a considerable loss to me resigning your situation, but my

-I would tell no one. All in this house should consider you simply as a friend. Our writing

oud, Miss Harman-not proud

ems too little; I will gladly raise it to two pounds a week, and if

she said, however, shaking her head. "I confess I want money, but I must earn it elsewhere. I cannot come here. My husband will only

s exciting. Do

first to say I must never

always have my own way. My present way is to have you here in this snug room for two or three hours daily-you and I w

said, "The conditions are these:-I must tell y

especially when they

ou, but I had better not; you had better let m

an you are, Mrs. Ho

is possible you may not be ha

ale of an absolute stranger affect my happiness?" T

, almost frightened look in her eyes, that her companion's too changed. A

being imperiled," she said. "I ch

se to tell," said t

ve begun-begun in such a

in her eyes. She said to herself, "The die is cast." There rose up before h

ill speak-you wo

the table. You must

th that story in prospec

She seated herself in a chair at a little distance from Mrs. Home, fixed h

During the entire telling of the tale neith

three thousand pounds; I mean the interest, at five per cent., on that sum. It was to return to them at her death, it was not to descend to me, and my mother must only enjoy it on one condition. The condition was, that all communication must cease between my father's family and hers. On the day she renewed it the money would cease to be paid. My mother was young, a widow, and alone; she accepted the conditions, and the money was faithfully paid to her until the day of her death. I was too young to remember my father, and I only heard this story about him on my mother's deathbed; then for the first time I learned that we might have been rich, that we were in a measure meant to enjoy the good things which money can buy. My mother had educated me well, and you may be quite sure that with an income of one hundred and fifty pounds a year this could only be done by practising the strictest economy. I was accustomed to doing without the pretty dre

t interests me greatly; but you will pardon my expressing my r

s, were cruel and unjust. I don't bel

interesting-if so, if you can prove it, you ma

es

oof that you and your moth

of whatever, Miss Harman

l tell me wh

that he wished that I and his son's little daughter, that other Charlotte he called her, should grow up together as sisters. My father was a good man, his mind was not wandering

n slowly and thoughtfu

the excitement was over, and a dull despair came back over her face. Charlotte Harman, on the contrary, was deep in that fine spe

eman who left the room just now, that younger gentleman, I am to

n her excitement rose to her feet. "I have

you are, Mrs. Home! I must

I saw you for the first time yesterday. I love you, I thank you. You are a rich and pros

t all; you have told me your story, it only proves that you want money v

I must not.

I do not u

nd. I can only repeat th

's turn to become the suppliant; with a softness of manner which

ss that yo

eyes fille

I am going a

e too much, the trifle reflected a light too vivid

ust. This story-you say it is about you; is it

on't ask m

he door until you speak. H

twenty

Charlotte your dying father

not te

know. Was it-but impossible! it

ed the secret she had feebly tried to guard. There was a pause and a dead silence. That silence told all that w

a very, very strange tale. You are ri