Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-12-09
Nest.
BY BERTHA NJ. CLAY.
CHAPTER x

Nha' nave you peeh uOlnH upstafrsi" she
asked. ~ sent for you some time since, and
was told that you had been In the lumber
rooms all the afternoon. What have you been
doingi l do not know what may be there,
and ! do not like any person to go prying
about the house rs you have done"
looked at her In wonder. 1t was of my
house she was speaking; the house aud all II
contained, were mine, rot hers; but for Sir
Adrian's sake must not proclaim it. / saw
that her anger was at a white heat. In all
probability Lady Aditha had been speaking Of
me again, and irritating her against me.
''What have you been doing in those
roomsn she demanded.
Il went first to look for my box, since your
ladyshlp has decided to send me from the only
home have In the world | could not find II;
but have been looking over the contents OF
the rooms"
IAN exceedingly impertinent thingi You
had no right TO do anything of the kind" she
said angrily
What would she say" l thought, ''if she
knew what 1 had found there-if she knew
what l had wrapped In apparently careless
fashion In my aproni What a fall her pride
would have" And / could not prevent the
exultation l felt from showing itself In my
eyes. She saw 1t, and grew even more curl.
Gus.
"What have you therel" she demanded.
a decline TO tell you, Lady Caryl," an
swered firmly. II. is something that belongs
not TO you, but to myself"
you have taken It from those rooms 20 she
cried.
II have; but it is my own" returned
calmly
Nothing here is your own" she said hotly,
her face growing pale with anger; Everything
belongs to me. You have no right TO carry
from this house a single thing without my
permission
lnvoluntarily my hands closed round my
white apron and its contents. / knew that
was going to destroy the papers, but for those
few minutes | felt proud OF the knowledge
that was mistress Of the house and all It con-
tanned
''Will you let me pass, Lady Caryl"
NO" she exclaimed; 'you shall not pass
until know what you have there wrapped up
In your apron"
''Then shall have to stay here for ever, or
i shall show what have TO no one"
You will show it TO me-" she said, biting
her lip.
paused for few moments TO consider the
position 1t would indeed serve her right TO
let her see the papers, and for a moment the
temptation 10 show them to her was strong;
but had resolved to make the sacrifice for my
lovers sake.
II have no wish to threaten or to use vio-
lence," her ladyship went on more calmly;
''but will see what you have there. II you
refuse 70 show Inc, shall send for the butler
and one Of the footmen, and they shall take
1t from you"
OF course she could do that, and In the
hands OF two strong men shoHld he power
less. They would take the documents from
me in al instant and then Alb, my love
with the bonnie blue eyes, that should never
bel i clasped the little parcel more tightly.
LADY Caryl," implored, "be just to me.
swear to you that what have here belongs
TO me- and 10 no one else. Please let me pass
and go free. will leave the house, and never
return"
But she would not listen TO my appeal. I
saw that she was debating in her mind whether
she should take my parcel from me by force or
not but evidently her sense of proprety cou-
quered
al must and will see what you are secretng
at once. shall either call the men or you
must give to me of your own free will what
you have hidden there's
THAT will never do" returned resolute-
l.
''Come down to my ROOM" said Lady Caryl
peremptorly. ~ do not se why i should
stand In this draught Go before me to my
boudolrn
And / obeyed her. All, what would she
have said had she known what I carried IN my
aproni
We went into the boudour, and then she
closed the door.
Put what you have in your hands upon the
table" she commanded.
declined TO do So
II intend TO see what II isl said Lady Caryl
firmly
And firmly declared she should not.
Was 1t good or an evil spirit that led Sir
Adrian TO the door just at that moments
"Can ! speak to you, motheri" he asked.
81 will not detain you long"
''Come in,' she answered. II am glad to
see you, Adrian"
He looked with wonder from her to me and
then at the white bundle in my arms
what Is III" he asked hurriedly what
Is the matter with you and Gracia motherr"
Adrian" said Lady Caryl, II shall be glad
II you will support my authority. l have
made arrangements for Gracia to go to Miss
Kenyon's at Heronsdale For many reasons
do not think II advisable that she should re-
main here. Lady Adths has been speaking
TO me about 1t, and she is Of the same
opinion"
To my great surprise, he muttered something
\ n. Al. Ill a
mentary.
81 told Gracia, today" her ladyship went
on, "that i wished her 10 pack up and go.
Under the pretext Of seeking for box, she
has spent the whole Of this afternoon In the
lumber-rooms, and 1t seems 10 me that she has
taken what she liked from them"
"Ah, thank Heaven, his face flushed with
anger at the cruel words Then his eyes were
turned with infinite tenderness on me-
"MotheE you cannot possibly know what
you are saying" he cried.
~ do" she returned stIfiy "Gracia has
spent the afternoon in those rooms, and met
her stealing down the staircase with this bun
die In her arms / want TO know what It con.
tains She refuses to tell me; and, as she per
sists in her refusal, l have brought her here,
and shall compel her to let me see what she "a
carrying away with her."
II she knew-if she only knew
mother, I am surprised at YOUR he cried
Indignantly. ~ can hardly believe that you
can say such cruel things ! would trust
Gracia with NV life"
Then found my voice.
'sir Adrian,n said, II assure you thai
what have here is my own, entirely my own
and belongs 10 no one else"
~ believe you, Gracla," he returned conn