e yet they spoke together, there was heard a loud knocking at the
hall door. And the next moment Jerome, the hall footman, who had
immediately opened the door, entered the drawing-room, saying that there
was a messenger from the Reindeer with a note for Mrs. Fanning on a
matter of life and death.

Mr. Lytton immediately went out to see the messenger, who proved to be
no other than Mithridates, or Taters, once the slave of Frederick
Fanning, some time the hired servant of John Lytton, and now the hostler
at the Reindeer.

"Well, Taters, what is it? Mrs. Fanning has gone to bed, and we don't
like to disturb her at this hour of the night," said Mr. Lytton.

"Oh, marster, you'll have to 'sturb her nebbertheless and
notwivstandin'," said the weeping boy, "because my young missis, which
wasn't a ghost after all, but was a libbin' 'oman when I see her here,
is a-dyin' now, at the Reindeer, and wants to see her mudder."

"What on earth are you talking about, boy?" inquired the bewildered man.

"Miss Iby Fannin', sir! My young mist'ess as used to was! She be a-dyin'
at de Reindeer and wants to see her mudder, Missis Fannin', my ole
missis, wot libs here," explained the boy, bursting into fresh sobs and
tears.

"Ivy Fanning, the long missing girl, supposed to be dead--dying now at
the Reindeer?"

"Yes, sir--yes, sir! And if you don't make haste and tell my ole missis
she'll be dead before her mudder can get to her," sobbed the faithful
boy.

"Sit down here and wait," said Mr. Lytton, who now understood the
emergency.

And, leaving the boy seated in the hall, he went into the drawing-room
and told Emma the surprising news that Ivy Fanning, the long-lost,
erring daughter of Frederick and Katharine Fanning, and the unworthy
cousin of Emma Cavendish--Ivy Fanning, whose faults had caused so much
misery to all connected with her--Ivy Fanning, supposed to be dead long
ago, was now lying at the point of death at the Reindeer Hotel, and
begging to see her poor, wronged mother!

"What a terrible thing to tell Aunt Katharine, when we rouse her up at
the dead of night!" exclaimed Emma, with a shudder.

"And yet, my dear one, it is your duty to do that very terrible thing.
Go bravely and do it, my love, while I go and order the most comfortable
carriage in the stable to convey the poor lady to Wendover," said Alden
Lytton, encouragingly.

Emma went to Mrs. Fanning's room and waked her up, telling her at first,
very gently, tha