om and rang
the bell.

"Pauline, my dearest child!" whispered the anxious governess.

Miss Darrell looked at her with a terrible smile.

"It would have been better for her," she said, slowly, "that she had
never been born."

"Pauline!" cried the governess. But she said no more.

A footman entered the room, to whom Sir Oswald spoke.

"Go to my study," he said, "and bring me a black ebony box that you will
find locked in my writing-table. Here are the keys."

The man returned in a few minutes, bearing the box in his hands. Sir
Oswald took it to the table where the lamps shone brightly.

"Aubrey," he said, "will you come here? I have a commission for you."

Captain Langton followed him to the table, and some remark about the
fashion of the box drew the attention of all present to it. Sir Oswald
raised the lid, and produced a diamond ring.

"You are going over to Audleigh Royal to-morrow, Aubrey," he said; "will
you leave this with Stamford, the jeweler? I have chosen a new setting
for the stone. I wish to present it to Miss Hastings as a mark of my
deep gratitude to her."

Miss Hastings looked up in grateful wonder. Sir Oswald went on talking
about the contents of the ebony box. He showed them many quaint
treasures that it contained; among other things he took out a roll of
bank-notes.

"That is not a very safe method of keeping money, Sir Oswald," said Miss
Hastings.

"No, you are right," he agreed. "Simpson's clerk paid it to me the other
day; I was busy, and I put it there until I had time to take the numbers
of the notes."

"Do you keep notes without preserving a memorandum of their numbers, Sir
Oswald?" inquired Aubrey Langton. "That seems to me a great risk."

"I know it is not prudent; but there is no fear. I have none but honest
and faithful servants about me. I will take the numbers and send the
notes to the bank to-morrow."

"Yes," said Miss Hastings, quietly, "it is better to keep temptation
from servants."

"There is no fear," he returned. "I always put the box away, and I sleep
with my keys under my pillow."

Sir Oswald gave Captain Langton a few directions about the diamond, and
then the ladies withdrew.

"Sir Oswald," said Captain Langton, "let me have a cigar with you
to-night. I must not thank you, but if you knew how grateful I feel----"

"I will put away the box first, and then we will have a glass of wine,
Aubrey."

The baronet went to his study, and the captain to his room;