killed may not have been your mother."

Lilian started in surprise.

"There seems to be a reason why we should be certain in this. Trust me,
I will not torment her needlessly."

"My dear child it _is_ best;" said Mrs. Barrington. "Can you not trust
me?"

Lilian was not convinced but she led the way.

"Oh, where have you been so long?" cried the invalid. "You said you
would stay--has some one come to take you away? Oh, you will not go. You
promised. It will be only a little while."

She fell into a pitiable terror. Lilian soothed. Mr. Ledwith tried to
explain that they might possibly find the young girl's father who was
now a prosperous man.

But Mrs. Boyd would not be persuaded. She began to talk incoherently,
and suddenly raising her head and leaning on one elbow said--"send them
away. It is all true as I told you. You are not my own child, but I have
loved you all these years, oh, you _will_ stay with me! I can feel that
it will not be for long. It is there in the drawer--I wrote it out. It
took so long and I was so tired, so tired! Give it to them and send
them away. Oh, Lilian, he is not your father. Promise me you will not go
with him."

Lilian opened the drawer. There lay quite a big packet, with the
superscription,--"For my daughter Lilian when I am dead."

She simply handed it to Mr. Ledwith. He and Mrs. Barrington left the
room. Mrs. Boyd gave way to a wild fit of weeping and Lilian had much
ado to comfort her, but presently she soothed her to slumber.

"Who heard this story or confession?" he asked as they entered the
library.

"Mrs. Dane and Miss Arran."

"Will they come and listen? They can tell whether the two will agree and
point out any discrepancy."

It was written in a shaky hand and evidently at intervals, many words
misspelled and phrases repeated, but with a passionate sincerity and an
overwhelming love for the child whose mother she thought dead, and she
fancied the baby might be thrown on the charity of the world, but she
knew even then it was not her baby but the longing for the child was
pitiful. Mrs. Barrington was reading it and now and then her voice
faltered.

"Oh," said Miss Arran, "they are alike except that this seems more
pathetic. There is no doubt of the truth in my mind. Of course _she_ saw
the difference as Miss Lilian grew older and she was afraid she might
have defrauded her of some better fortune. Oh, I pity the poor woman
profoundly. She had a hard life. Mrs. B