things, I think you ought to keep within your
allowance."'

'I can't help all that, Miss Etta,' and I could tell by the voice that
the woman meant to be insolent. 'A promise is a promise, and must be
kept, and poor Bob must not suffer from your procrastinating ways. You
are far too slippery and shifty, Miss Etta; but I tell you that money I
must and will have before this week is over, if I have to go to master
myself about it.'

'You had better go to him, then,' with rising temper. 'I don't quite know
what Giles will say about retaining you in his service when he knows you
have a brother at Millbank. A servant with a convict-brother is not
considered generally desirable in a house.' But Leah broke in upon this
sneering speech in sudden fury: even in my disgust at this scene I could
not but marvel at Miss Darrell's recklessness in rousing the evil spirit
in this woman.

'You to talk of my poor Bob being in Millbank, who ought to be there
yourself!' she cried, in a voice hoarse and low with passion. 'Are you
out of your senses, Miss Etta, to taunt me with poor Bob's troubles? What
is to prevent me from going to master now and saying to him--'

'Oh, hush, Leah! please forgive me; but you made me so angry.'

'From saying to him,' persisted Leah remorselessly, "'You are all of you
wrong about Mr. Eric. You have hunted the poor boy out of the house, and
driven him crazy among you; and if he has drowned himself, as folk
believe, his death lies at Miss Etta's door. It was she who stole the
cheque. I saw her take it with my own eyes, only she begged me on her
knees not to betray her; and just then Mr. Eric came in with his letter,
and the devil entered into me to cast the suspicion on him."'

'Leah,' in a voice of deadly terror, 'for God's sake be silent! if any
one should hear us! There was a crackling just now in the bushes. Leah,
you were good to my mother: how can you be so cruel to me?'

'It is no use your whining to me, Miss Etta,' returned the same hard,
dogged voice; 'Bob must have that money. When I promised to keep your
disgraceful secret,--when I stood by and helped you ruin that poor boy,
and Bob cashed your cheque,--I named my price. I wanted to keep Bob out
of mischief, but his bad companions were too much for him. Now are you
going to get that money for me or not?'

'I dare not ask Giles for more,' replied Miss Darrell, and I could hear
she was crying. 'I gave you half the housekeeping money last week and