e permitted to succeed. I want to wrest the
Towers from the hand of the Philistines."

"What _do_ you mean?" exclaimed Annie.

"In other words," continued Miss Bernard Temple, "I want to keep the
Lorrimers in the home of their ancestors and to make those shallow
Drummonds stay in their own place."

"I suppose we all want that," said Annie; "but how can you possibly do
it? You have no power."

"So you think, but you are mistaken; I have a great deal of power. Now,
will you help me?"

"To do this? Yes. With all my heart and soul."

"That is good. I don't wish to say anything to Hester Thornton nor to
Nora Lorrimer, nor to any of the Lorrimers, nor least of all to Susan
Drummond. I think I can manage Susy, for I am up to some of her pretty
little vagaries. I can also manage mother, and mother has a good deal of
influence in a certain quarter just now. You are a sort of outsider, and
yet you are very friendly with everybody, so you can render me very
important help; but, of course, you clearly understand that fidelity is
my motto, and you know also that your mission will be one of extreme
delicacy."

"I have plenty of tact," said Annie. "I most faithfully promise to
reveal nothing, and I will do everything in my power for you. I begin to
believe in you. I think you are a wonderful girl."

"Don't say that," said Antonia, with solemn impressiveness; "if there is
one thing more than another that gives me intense pain, it is praise. I
am but the meanest disciple of great Art. I am doing this in the cause
of Art. Now, I am not going to tell you what my plan of campaign is, at
least, not to-day, but I want you to make certain inquiries for me. I
want you to try and discover all you can from Hester with regard to her
father's wealth, and all you can from Molly with regard to the
Lorrimers' difficulties; and you are somehow or other to get the address
in London where Squire Lorrimer is now staying. Have all this
information ready for me by to-morrow morning. Now you can return to the
others; I am going back to the house."

CHAPTER XXIV.

A WET SPONGE.

Antonia walked slowly in the direction of the house, trailing her long
skirt behind her. She entered by a side door, and went straight up to
her own room. The bedroom set apart for Miss Bernard Temple opened into
the large and stately bedroom occupied by the future mistress of the
Grange. Both rooms were dainty and fresh in the extreme. Mrs. Bernard
Temple's ma