e
in your night gown. What is it? What do you want? Can I do anything for
you?" cried the girl, springing out of bed to turn on the heat of the
register, and then wrapping a large shawl around the old lady, and
putting her into the cushioned easy chair.

"Now what is it, dear grandma? What can I do for you?" she inquired, as
she drew on her own wadded dressing gown and sat on the side of the bed
near the old lady.

"You can do something to set my mind at ease, my dear; but it will be
painful for you, and I do not know whether you will do it," said the old
lady with timid hesitation.

"I can do this, dear? Then, of course, I will do it," replied the girl.

"It is almost too much to ask of you, my child."

"There is nothing, nothing that I would not do to give you peace--you,
poor dear, who have so little peace," said Cora, tenderly, smoothing the
silver hair away from the wrinkled brow of the old lady, who began to
drop a few weak tears of self-pity, excited by Cora's sympathy.

"Well, my child," she said, "your grandfather is going to have a little
talk with you soon--on the subject of your self-seclusion. Oh! my poor
child, do not resist him, do not provoke, do not disobey him. Oh! for my
sake, Cora, for my sake, do not!"

"Dearest dear, I will leave undone anything in the world you wish me not
to do. I will no longer rebel against my grandfather's authority, even
when he exercises it in such a despotic manner," said Cora, raising the
clasped hands of the old lady and pressing them to her lips.

Mrs. Rockharrt gathered the girl in her arms and kissed her, with a few
more weak tears, but with no more words.

She did not tell Cora of the cruel threat made by the tyrant to turn
her out of doors if she failed to obey him, and she hoped that the girl
might never hear of it, lest in her wounded pride she might forestall
the threat and leave the house of her own accord.

"Now be at ease, dear," said Cora, soothingly. "No more trouble--"

A bell rang sharply and cut off the girl's speech.

"Oh, there he is awake! I must go to him," exclaimed the timid old
creature.

Cora made her toilet, and then went down to the breakfast parlor, where
she found the two old people about to sit down to the table. She bade
her grandfather good morning and then took her place.

During breakfast Aaron Rockharrt said:

"Mrs. Rothsay, you will come to me in the library as soon as we leave
the table. I have something to say to you