the
door if she could see the Sister in charge of the girl's school.

"Which--the orphanage or the ladies' school?"

"The orphanage," was Flossy's prompt reply; and accordingly she was
shown into the presence of Sister Louisa.

"I am afraid that I must appear very brusque and abrupt," said Mrs.
Vane, with the soft graciousness of manner which proved so powerful a
weapon in her armory; "but I shall have to come to the point at once, as
I have only a few minutes to spare. Can you tell me whether you ever had
a child in your orphanage called Cynthia West?"

Sister Louisa considered, and then shook her head.

"'Cynthia' is an uncommon name," she said. "I am sure what we never
had--at least, within the last ten years."

"It would not be so long ago," said Mrs. Vane. "I have reason, however,
to think that 'Cynthia West' is not her real name. Would the name of
'Westwood'--'Cynthia Janet Westwood'--recall any child to your memory?"

Sister Louisa started, and a flush covered her mild thin face.

"Is it possible," she said, "that you mean our lost child Jane Wood?"

"She may have been known under that name," said Florence. "You had a
girl here called 'Jane Wood,' then? Why do you think that she has any
connection with Cynthia West?"

"You mentioned the name of 'Westwood,'" said Sister Louisa eagerly.
"Jane Wood's name was really 'Westwood'; but, as she was the daughter of
a notorious criminal, Mrs. Rumbold of Beechfield, who placed her with
us, asked that she should be called 'Wood.' She was the child of
Westwood, who committed a dreadful murder at Beechfield, in Hampshire--a
gentleman called Vane----" Here Sister Louisa glanced at the visitor's
card. "You know perhaps," she went on in some confusion; but Flossy
interrupted her.

"Mr. Vane, the murdered man, was my brother-in-law. I am the wife of
General Vane of Beechfield. I had some notion that this girl Cynthia
West was identical with Westwood's daughter, but I could not be sure of
the fact. How long was she with you, may I ask?"

Then she heard the whole story. She heard how the child had come to St.
Elizabeth's, and been gradually tamed and civilised; of her wonderful
voice and talent for music; of the generosity of certain persons
unknown, supposed to be the Vanes; of the outburst of passion when
"Janey" heard the lay-sister's accusation of her father, and her
subsequent disappearance; then--not greatly to Flossy's surprise--of Mr.
Lepel's visit, and his se