shy cordiality
might have been the voice of Lady Claire.

But the moment I looked into her face I saw a very distinct
difference, not in outward feature, but in the inward character that
is revealed by the eyes, the lines of the mouth, the shape of the
lower jaw. In Lady Claire the first were steady and spoke of high
courage, of firm, fixed purpose; the mouth, as perfectly curved as
Cupid's bow, was resolute and determined, the well-shaped, rounded
chin was held erect, and might easily become defiant, even aggressive.

Lady Henriette was evidently cast in another mould. Her eyes, of the
same violet blue, were pretty, pleading, soft in expression, but often
downcast and deprecating; the mouth and chin were weak and irresolute.
It was the same lovely face as Lady Claire's, and to some might seem
the sweeter, indicating the tender, clinging, yielding nature that
commonly appeals to the stronger sex; but to me she lost in every
respect by comparison with her more energetic, self-reliant sister.

I heard the explanation, such as it was, without the smallest
surprise; it was very much what I expected now when I was permitted to
know and appreciate her better.

"What shall I say, Colonel Annesley, and what will you think of me?"
she began plaintively, almost piteously. "But the moment I found I
had to part with my child my courage broke down. I became incapable of
doing anything. I seemed quite paralyzed. I am not brave, you know,
like my dearest Claire, or strong-minded, and I quite collapsed."

"But I hope and trust you have made the exchange. Lady Claire has
little Lord Aspdale and has left you the dummy? Tell me, I beg."

"Oh, yes, yes, we made the exchange," she replied, in such a
faltering, undecided voice that I doubted, and yet could not bring
myself to believe that she was not telling the truth.

"So much depends upon it, you see. Everything indeed. It would be a
very serious matter if--if--"

"The contrary was the case," I wanted to say, yet how could I? I
should be charging her directly with wilfully misleading me, and
deceiving me in this moment of extreme peril.

"But what will happen now?" she said, her voice faltering, her eyes
filling, and seemingly on the very verge of hysterics. "What if
Blackadder should find that I am here, and--and--"

"He can do nothing to you unless he has a right to act, unless," I
answered unhesitatingly and a little cruelly perhaps, regardless of
the scared look in her fac