Wood's talent for music and other accomplishments from "the mother
of the children" herself.

The good Sister smiled sadly as she gave it back.

"I see now who you are, Mr. Lepel. You are really this poor child's
great friend and helper."

"I am acting for my family, of course," said Hubert, a little stiffly.
"The girl has naturally no right to expect anything from us; but we were
sorry for her desolate portion."

"Yes, poor child--she has a hard lot to bear."

If Hubert was stung by this asseveration, he did not show it.

"I always heard that she was very happy here," he said.

"And so she was--or so she seemed to be," said Sister Louisa, with
energy. "She was a great favorite, always at the top of the classes,
always full of life and spirit, always bright and engaging. Poor Janie!
To think that she should have left us in this way!"

"Why did she leave you, and how?"

"Mr. Lepel," said the Sister, "if I tell you that our Janie had a fault,
you won't think hardly of her or of us? A girl of fifteen is not often
perfect, and we are sometimes obliged to reprove, even to punish, those
under our charge; and yet I assure you there was not a person in the
house, woman or child, who did not love poor Janie."

"I am to understand, then, that she was under punishment?"

Sister Louisa shook her head slightly and sighed. She felt that it was
difficult to make this young man of the world understand that girls of
fifteen were sometimes exceedingly trying to their elders and superiors;
but she would do her best.

"Janie was very affectionate," she said, "but passionate in temper, and
obstinate when thwarted. She had a curious amount of pride--much more
than one usually finds in so young a girl or one of her extraction. Her
high spirits too were a snare to her. She was reproved three days ago
for laughing aloud in a chapel; and, as she showed an unsubmissive
spirit, she was sent into a room alone in order to meditate. Into this
room one of our lay Sisters went by accident, not knowing that Jane Wood
was there for seclusion, and began to talk to her. This young woman,
Martha by name, came from the neighborhood of Beechfield, and happened
to mention Mrs. Rumbold."

"Ah, I see!" Hubert exclaimed involuntarily.

"Jane questioned her about the place--questioned her particularly, I
believe, about a gentleman that she remembered. I think, Mr. Lepel, that
she must have been thinking of yourself, according to the description
t