mother at just
Hetty's age! May I telegraph for it at once--to let you see it?"

"Certainly, my dear; for it and that copy of the Testament. But not a
word to Hetty. It would be cruel to run the risk of subjecting her to a
heavy disappointment"

The telegram was sent; and Mrs. Kane appeared, wondering greatly why
she was wanted at the Hall in such a hurry.

"Now, Mrs. Kane," said Mrs. Enderby, "here is a young lady who is
greatly interested in the story of the finding of Hetty Gray on the Long
Sands by your husband, and I have promised she shall hear of it from
your own lips."

They were all gathered round a sunny window in the great brown hall,
lined with carved oak and decorated with armour and antlers. Mrs.
Enderby herself pushed a stately old oaken chair towards the rose-framed
sash and said encouragingly:

"Sit down, Mrs. Kane, and make yourself comfortable. There is nothing to
be nervous about. You know we are all friends of your favourite, Hetty."

Mrs. Kane was trembling with some curious excitement, and could not
remove her eyes from Reine Gaythorne's face.

"I do not know who the young lady may be, ma'am," she said, "but this I
will say, that she is as like my Hetty as if she was her own born
sister."

A flood of colour rushed over Reine's pale face, and she clasped her
hands and fixed her eyes on Mrs. Enderby.

"Never mind that," said Mrs. Enderby, "tell the young lady what you
remember."

"There's but little to tell," said Mrs. Kane, "beyond what everybody
knows. John happened to be down upon the sands that night, and he got
the baby lying at his feet. He brought her to me wrapped in his coat,
and says he, 'Anne, here's God has sent us a little one.' And we kept it
for our own, seeing that nobody asked for it. I have the day and the
year written in my prayer-book; for I said to myself, some day, may-be,
her friends will come looking for her--out of the sea, or over the land,
or whatever way providence will send them. And for one whole week we
called her nothing but 'H.G.'"

"H.G.!" echoed Reine.

"Those were the letters wrought upon the shoulder of her beautiful
little shift," said Mrs. Kane. "And afterwards we made out that they
stood for Hetty Gray."

"She had on a little shift?"

"Mrs. Rushton got it," said Mrs. Kane. "The finest bit of baby clothes I
ever set my eyes on."

Reine had come close to Mrs. Kane, and her lips were trembling as she
went on questioning her:

"Were the let