hat is the meaning of
this? You have made but a short stay. Was Pomeroy Court too gloomy,
or did you think that your poor father was lonely here without you?
Lonely enough he was--and glad indeed he is to see his little
Zillah."

And Lord Chetwynde kissed her fondly, exhibiting a delight which
touched Zillah to the heart. She could not say any thing then and
there about the real cause of her sudden return. She would have to
wait for a favorable opportunity, even though her heart was
throbbing, in her fierce impatience, as though it would burst. She
took refuge in caresses and in general remarks as to her joy on
finding herself back again, leaving him to suppose that the gloom
which hung around Pomeroy Court now had been too oppressive for her,
and that she had hurried away from it.

The subject which was uppermost in Zillah's mind was one which she
hardly knew how to introduce. It was of such delicacy that the idea
of mentioning it to the Earl filled her with repugnance. For the
first day she was distrait and preoccupied. Other days followed. Her
nights were sleepless. The Earl soon saw that there was something on
her mind, and taxed her with it. Zillah burst into tears and sat
weeping.

"My child," said the Earl, tenderly. "This must not go on. There can
not be anything in your thoughts which you need hesitate to tell me.
Will you not show some confidence toward me?"

Zillah looked at him, and his loving face encouraged her. Besides,
this suspense was unendurable. Her repugnance to mention such a thing
for a time made her silent; but at last she ventured upon the dark
and terrible subject.

"Something occurred at Pomeroy Court," she said, and then stopped.

"Well?" said the Earl, kindly and encouragingly.

"It is something which I want very much to ask you about--"

"Well, why don't you?" said Lord Chetwynde. "My poor child, you can't
be afraid of me, and yet it looks like it. You are very mysterious.
This 'something' must have been very important to have sent you back
so soon. Was it a discovery, or was it a fright? Did you find a dead
body? But what is that you can want to ask me about? I have been a
hermit for twenty years. I crept into my shell before you were born,
and here I have lived ever since."

The Earl spoke playfully, yet with an uneasy curiosity in his tone.
Zillah was encouraged to go on.

"It is something," said she, timidly and hesitatingly, "which I found
among my father's papers."

Lo