l to-morrow,' taking my cold hand.

But I would not be silenced. I implored him earnestly to do this for
me,--to summon Leah into the study, but not to let Miss Darrell know.

'I suppose you think you could not sleep until you had relieved your
mind,' he said, looking at me attentively. 'Well, they are coming in now.
Leah is fastening the door. Finish that sal volatile while I fetch her.'

I took it at a draught. But Mr. Hamilton's kindness had been my best
restorative: I was no longer faint or miserable: he had cheered and
comforted me.

I heard Leah's voice approaching the study door with perfect calmness.

'Miss Etta has gone up to bed, sir,' I heard her say; 'she has a
headache: that is what makes her eyes so weak.'

'I should have said myself that she was crying,' returned Mr. Hamilton
drily. 'Come in here a moment, Leah; I want to speak to you.'

She did not see me until the door was closed behind her, and then I saw
her glance at me uneasily. Mr. Hamilton had evidently not prepared her
for my presence in the study.

'Did you or Miss Garston wish to speak to me, sir?' she asked, with a
veiled insolence of manner that she had shown to me lately; but I could
see that no suspicion of the truth had dawned on her.

'It is I who wish to speak to you, Leah,' I returned severely; 'and
I have asked your master to send for you that I might speak in his
presence. Mr. Hamilton, I am going to repeat the conversation that I have
just overheard between Leah and her mistress when they were in the seat
in the asphalt walk: you shall hear it from my lips word for word.'

I never saw a countenance change as Leah's did that moment: her ordinary
sallow complexion became a sort of dead-white; from insolence, her manner
grew cringing, almost abject; the shock deprived her of all power of
speech; only directly I began she caught hold of my gown with both hands,
as though to implore me to stop; but Mr. Hamilton shook off her touch
angrily, and asked her if it looked as though she were an honest woman to
be so afraid of her own words. And then the sullen look came back to her
face and never left it again.

I repeated every word. I do not believe I omitted a sentence, except
that part that referred to Uncle Max. I could see Leah shrink and
collapse as I mentioned her convict-brother, and such a gleam of fierce
concentrated hatred shot from beneath her drooping lids that Mr. Hamilton
instinctively moved to my side; but a low groan