esisted that
strange prompting which kept her silent when Mr. Newton began to look
for the will, how different everything might have been! Errington might
be well off too, and she might never have seen him.

With the thought of him came the sudden overpowering wish to hear his
voice--clear, deliberate, convincing--which sometimes seized her in
spite of every effort to banish it from her mind, and of which she was
utterly, profoundly ashamed, the recurrence of which was infinitely
painful. She must fill her heart with other thoughts, other objects.
"Life is serious enough (the life which lies before me especially) to
crowd out these follies. Why do I increase its gloom with imaginary
troubles?"

Miss Payne, returning from her dinner, found Katherine sitting up for
her, apparently occupied with a book, and in the little confidential
talk which ensued Katherine told her of Rachel Trant's intention of
consulting Mr. Newton respecting her plans for increasing her business
with a view to assisting her benefactress.

Miss Payne received this communication in silence; but after a moment's
thought observed, in a grave, approving tone; "You have not been
deceived in her, then. I really believe Rachel Trant is a young woman of
principle and integrity."

"Yes, I have always thought so." Then, after a pause, she resumed: "I
wonder what reply I shall have from Ada to-morrow--no, the day after
to-morrow."

"Do not worry yourself about it. She will make herself disagreeable, of
course; but it is just a trouble to be got through with. Go to bed, my
dear; try to sleep and to forget. You are looking fagged and worn."

But Katherine could not help dwelling upon the picture her imagination
presented of the morrow's breakfast-time at Castleford; of the dismay
with which her letter would be read; of Ada's tears and Colonel
Ormonde's rage; of the torrent of advice which would be poured upon her.
Then what decision would Colonel Ormonde come to about the boys? He
would banish them to some cheap out-of-the-way school. It was impossible
to say what he would do.

Naturally she did not sleep well or continuously, disturbed as she was
by such thoughts--such uneasy anticipations--and her eyes showed the
results of a bad night when she met Miss Payne in the morning.

About eleven o'clock Katherine came quickly into Miss Payne's particular
sitting-room, where she made up her accounts and studied her bank-book.

"What is it?" asked that lady,