ure of Lovedy, set her on her feet, and then looking neither to the
right nor left, as if she saw and thought of no one else, made but one
bound towards Colonel Keith, clasped both hands round his arm, turned
him away from the rest, and with her black brows drawn close together,
gasped under her breath, "O, Colin, Colin, it is Maria Hatherton."

"What! the matron?"

"Yes, the woman that has used these poor children like a savage. O,
Colin, it is frightful."

"You should sit down, you are almost ready to faint."

"Nothing! nothing! But the poor girls are in such a state. And that
Maria whom we taught, and--" Alison stopped.

"Did she know you?"

"I can't tell. Perhaps; but I did not know her till the last moment."

"I have long believed that the man that Rose recognised was Mauleverer,
but I thought the uncertainty would be bad for Ermine. What is all
this?"

"You will hear. There! Listen, I can't tell you; Lady Temple did it
all," said Alison, trying to draw away her arm from him, and to assume
the staid governess. But he felt her trembling, and did not release her
from his support as they fanned back to the astonished group, to which,
while these few words were passing, Francis, the little bareheaded
white-aproned Mary Morris, and lastly Lady Temple, had by this time been
added; and Fanny, with quick but courteous acknowledgment of all, was
singling out her cousin.

"Oh, Rachel, dear, I did not mean it to have been so sudden or before
them all, but indeed I could not help it," she said in her gentle,
imploring voice, "if you only saw that poor dear child's neck."

Rachel had little choice what she should say or do. What Fanny
was saying tenderly and privately, the two boys were communicating
open-mouthed, and Mrs. Curtis came at once with her nervous, "What is
it, my dear; is it something very sad? Those poor children look very
cold, and half starved."

"Indeed," said Fanny, "they have been starved, and beaten, and cruelly
used. I am very sorry, Rachel, but indeed that was a dreadful woman,
and I thought Colonel Keith and Mr. Grey would tell us what ought to be
done."

"Mr. Grey!" and Mrs. Curtis turned round eagerly, with the comfort of
having some one to support her, "will you tell us what is to be done?
Here has poor dear Rachel been taken in by this wicked scheme, and these
poor--"

"Mother, mother," muttered Rachel, lashed up to desperation; "please not
out here, before the servants and every one.