ovided everything, and she had accepted
her part and lot with them without question. It came as a surprise when
it was explained to her that she was utterly dependent upon her
stepbrother.

"Your own father and mother left you absolutely nothing, Lesbia," said
Mrs. Patterson. "Paul adopted you, and has brought you up all these
years and paid for your education, as if you had been his own sister.
I'm afraid he'll be terribly annoyed at your running away from the
steamer. It will be such an expense to send you on afterwards if he
decides you are to join them."

It was twelve days before a letter arrived with the Canadian postmark,
twelve days in which Lesbia, feeling herself a self-invited guest, had
ample time to consider the consequences of her rash act. She hardly knew
whether she wished Paul to leave her in England or to send for her to
Canada. Staying with the Pattersons was not at all exhilarating. The
atmosphere of the house was full of disapproval. She looked eagerly at
the envelope addressed in Paul's familiar handwriting. It was directed
to Mrs. Patterson, who put on her pince-nez and opened it. As she read
it a look of consternation swept over her face.

"Well, I wasn't quite prepared for that at any rate," she commented,
"and yet it's only what might have been expected. The girl's no kith and
kin of his after all." She handed the letter to her husband, whose face
also lengthened as he grasped its contents.

"It's an unfortunate business," he said briefly. "Of course I see his
point. We shall have to write to Mrs. Newton."

Poor Lesbia, sitting listening, did not dare to ask for an explanation,
but later on Mrs. Patterson told her the bad news.

"Paul is deeply hurt at your leaving the steamer. He says, 'I have been
both father and brother to Lesbia for the last eight years, and consider
it unpardonable of her to desert my wife in such a pinch. As she
evidently does not wish to make her home with us, I feel my
responsibility for her may justly come to an end, and I may hand her
over to her own relations. Had she come with us to Canada I would have
treated her as one of my own children, but in the circumstances she has
really no further claim upon me. I think I have done my share, and it is
now the turn of others to provide for her.'"

"Has he cast me off altogether?" gasped Lesbia.

"I'm afraid so. You've really nobody but yourself to blame. We must
write round to your various relations and see who's r