My Lady's Money

ard led the way back into the drawing-room, followed by Hardyman, Isabel being left to look after the dog. Before the door close

a little bread or biscuit, if he wants something to eat

I will take the

or, if you please, Mr. Hardyman. I feel the draught. Many thanks! I am really at a loss to tell y

ther anxiety about the dog. Only be careful not to overfeed him. He will do very well under Miss Isabel's care.

ives in a village on two or three hundred a year. I heard of the girl by accident. When she lost her father and mother, her aunt offered to take her. Isabel said, 'No, thank you; I will not be a burden on a relation who has only enough for herself. A girl can earn an honest living if she tries; and I mean to try'-that's what she said. I admired her independence," her Ladyship proceeded, ascending again to the higher regions of thought and expression. "My niece's marriage, just at that time, had left me alone in this great house. I proposed to Isabel to come to me as companion and reader for a few weeks, and to decide for herself whether she liked the life or not. We have never been separated since that time. I could hardly be fonder of her if she were my own daughter; and she returns my affection with all her heart. She has excellent qualit

adyship gave him the opportunity of speaking on his side, he had very little to say, and that little did not suggest that he had greatly profited by what h

etty, and such frank, unaffected manners. I don't deny that I feel an interest in her. T

nk dismay. "I am afraid I have failed to

, with good looks. She will be a perfect treasure (as you remarked just now) to the man who marries her. I may claim to know something about it. I have twice narrowly escaped being married myself; and, though I can't exactly explain it, I'm all the harder to please in consequence. Miss Isabel pleases me. I

any further attempt to establish an unde

lternative is to keep Isabel out of his way. My good little girl shall not drift into a false position while I am living to look after her. When Mr. Hardyman calls to-morrow she shall be out on an errand. When he calls the next time she shall

an, this was only the inevitable reaction which followed the subsidence of anxiety about the girl, after her own resolution had set that anxiety at rest. She threw open the door and made one of her sudden

s morning?" she asked, when

id the girl, with

ove me? Very well, then, treat me like your mother.

l which seldom showed themselves on the surface. Her smiling lips trembled, the bright tears rose in her eyes. "You

. "There! there!" she said, "Go back and play with Tommie, my dear. We may be as f

abel see it. "Why have I made a fool of myself?" she wondered, as she approached the drawing-room door. "It doesn'

ly checked herself with a start. "Good Heavens!" she exclaimed ir

The new visitor may be rightly described as a gray man. He had gray hair, eyebrows, and whiskers; he wore a gray coat, waistcoat, and trousers, and gray gloves. For the rest, his appear

ssment in his manner. "I had the honor of sending word by Mr. Moody that I would call at this hour, on some matters of bu

her usually frank, straightforward way. She now stopped him in the middle of a sentenc

ng my nerves under proper control." She paused for a moment and took a seat before she said her next wo

rmalities, which can wait till to-m

u have known me long enough, Mr. Troy, to know that I cannot

remonstrated. "Really, L

ry clever lawyer; but, happily for the interests that I commit to your charge, you are also a thoroughly honest man. Af

may annoy your Ladyship." He paused, and advanced another inch. "It is

ance. "I happened to meet your Ladysh

d angrily. "I can make him speak out,

osure a little longer. "Mr. Moody will be here directly,"

the bell, Mr. T

ringing the bell by presenting himself in the drawing-room. Lady Lydiard's eyes searched his face as he

open sheet of paper on the table. Th

herself first. "Is th

my L

stant's hesitation. Both the men wa

strange to her. Th

writer of the letter, who signs 'a friend in need,' has not reached me. No five-hundred pound bank-note was in the letter when I opened it. My wife was present when I broke the seal, and can certify to this statement if necessary. Not knowing who my charitable correspondent is (Mr.

as the Rector's statement was expressed, she appeared to be incapable

ed to speak first? Lady Lydiard gave them no time to decide. "Moody," she sa

ydiard without caring to conceal that he rese

the table. Your Ladyship has the clergyman's written testimony that I handed it to

ly interfered. He saw plainly that his experience was re

of which lawyers alone possess the secret. "There is only one way of arriving at the truth in painful

fluence of Mr. Troy. "I am at your

t you inclosed the bank-note in

"But I was so alarmed at the time by the sudden illness of m

r Ladyship when you put the inclo

that I saw her Ladyship put the bank-note in

envelope?" a

way into the next room to the dog,

Lady Lydiard. "Did your Ladyship take

think of it, Mr. Troy. I

e envelo

es

you absent in t

n hour

eflected for a while, and then turned again to Moody. "Did any of th

them," Moo

ect any of t

nly not

workmen employe

, s

had access to the room while L

tors call

were

. Felix Sweetsir, and the

etsir and Mr. Hardyman. My question related to strangers who might have obtained access to the drawing-room-people calling, with her Ladyship'

o the house with my kno

d failed to produce any results. His experience warned him to waste no more time on it, and to return to the starting-point of the investig

was called into the next room before you could seal your le

wered. "Isabel Miller was of no use in the

to look like the right direction already. "Miss Isabel Miller," he proceeded,

two years,

hip's companio

," her Ladyship answere

im to suspend the examination of her Ladyship, and to address to

ou left the house with it?" he said to t

self, from th

it se

es

when you took the l

abel was

d her alone

s,

checked herself. Mr. Troy, having cleared t

as instructed to seal the letter, did she

with a look of horror. Lady Lydiard started to her fee

e said, putting a stron

left her letter unsealed," he said. "And I mentioned as my excuse for speaking,"-he stopped

peated. "Can't you speak m

the inclosure in the letter-in Isabel Miller's hearing as well as in mine." She paused, ste

his side. "I am surprised that your Lad

rd rejoined. "I say that Isabel Miller knew of th

r, "that the suspicion of theft rests on your L

o God I had never said a word to you about the loss of the bank-note! Oh,

s shoulder, partly to encourage him, partly to support herself; and, fixing her eyes again on Mr. Troy, r

Does a shadow of doubt rest on the servants? Not if Mr. Moody's evidence is to be believed. Who, to our own certain knowledge, had access to

e of an act of theft as I am.

esignedly, and adv

ssertion as finally disposing of the que

e challenge without

as you suspect her. It is due to Isabel's reputation-her unstained reputation, Mr. Troy!-that she should know what

rdeal that awaited her. "Oh, my Lady!" he pleaded, "think again before you tell the poor girl

ld consent to hush it up? I must write to them; and I can't write anonymously after what has happened. Put yourself in Isabel's place, and tell me if you would than

slowly down the short passage which connected the two rooms, and still shrinking from the duty that had