putt the
money by for 'ee. 'Ee shall have every farden of it.' And so she flung
out of the room.
'And, Gwenny,' said Lorna very softly, following under the
door-hangings; 'if it is not honest to keep the money, it is not honest
to keep the letters, which would have been worth more than any gold to
those who were so kind to you. Your father shall know the whole, Gwenny,
unless you tell the truth.'
'Now, a will tell all the truth,' this strange maiden answered, talking
to herself at least as much as to her mistress, while she went out of
sight and hearing. And then I was so glad at having my own Lorna once
again, cleared of all contempt for us, and true to me through all of it,
that I would have forgiven Gwenny for treason, or even forgery.
'I trusted her so much,' said Lorna, in her old ill-fortuned way; 'and
look how she has deceived me! That is why I love you, John (setting
other things aside), because you never told me falsehood; and you never
could, you know.'
'Well, I am not so sure of that. I think I could tell any lie, to have
you, darling, all my own.'
'Yes. And perhaps it might be right. To other people besides us two. But
you could not do it to me, John. You never could do it to me, you know.'
Before I quite perceived my way to the bottom of the
distinction--although beyond doubt a valid one--Gwenny came back with a
leathern bag, and tossed it upon the table. Not a word did she vouchsafe
to us; but stood there, looking injured.
'Go, and get your letters, John,' said Lorna very gravely; 'or at least
your mother's letters, made of messages to you. As for Gwenny, she shall
go before Lord Justice Jeffreys.' I knew that Lorna meant it not; but
thought that the girl deserved a frightening; as indeed she did. But we
both mistook the courage of this child of Cornwall. She stepped upon a
little round thing, in the nature of a stool, such as I never had seen
before, and thus delivered her sentiments.
'And you may take me, if you please, before the great Lord Jeffreys. I
have done no more than duty, though I did it crookedly, and told a heap
of lies, for your sake. And pretty gratitude I gets.'
'Much gratitude you have shown,' replied Lorna, 'to Master Ridd, for all
his kindness and his goodness to you. Who was it that went down, at the
peril of his life, and brought your father to you, when you had lost him
for months and months? Who was it? Answer me, Gwenny?'
'Girt Jan Ridd,' said the handmaid, v
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