CHAPTER XV.—WHAT THE NIGHT BROUGHT FORTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 60

CHAPTER XV.— WHAT THE NIGHT BROUGHT FORTH.

Helen glanced at Sir Nigel, her pyrs bright with rising tears, and a feeling of keen remorse biting into her heart. Everything seemed clear to her now, e->-en the constant leaving of the door aj\>r, and s?lie understood as clear as though Becty had told her that eiihtr Abbas Luttiell or one of his Indian allies had been there, listening to every word.

''I'll never judge anything by appearances again, dad,' 1 she said contritely. ''Dear, mild, meelr-f?ced Betty ! To tlniik cf her, of all people, being deep enough (o play such a. bold game as this, and deceiving the Lutlrulls s>o v. til. Oh, dad, dear, one never knows what good things heaven bos in store for one, even when the hours are darkest. I wonder if the Luttrelh have taken Betty and her mother into their confidence? I wonder ho'v much they really know of their aims'.'"

That question v/as not answered until iue next morning, and even, then it was anbwered in an odd v> ay. One of the Indian servants (?) — whether the driver or the groom who accompanied them to the cottage last nijht, Helen could not tell ; neither jonld she be sure that it not an entirely different person from either — brought breakfast up to the little sitting room next morning, and then, for the fir-t time, Sir Nigel and his daughter realised the difficulty which their ignorance of Betty Millet's real intentions had brought about. Sir Nigel had forbidden her ever to come into the room again ; the spies had heard it, and reported it to Abbas Luttrell, and diplomacy had suggested to him me advisabiliiy of doing nothing which would reveal to the baronet the fact that his was no longer the will that governed the affairs of the house.

''Th 1 ? sahib's insolent servant has been sent away, and at the Sahib Luttrell's iequeat I. his servant, have been sent to perform the duties in her place,"' announced the man with a deferential salaam, "ily master present his compliments, and asks leave to breakfast with the sahib."

'"Thanks, but ' the sahib ' would rather he wouldn't,"' began Sir Nigel indignantly, but before he could say more Helen chimed in, and gave his indignant speech an ending such as he had not intended to give it himself.

"At least, not this morning," &he said. "You can tell your master that Miss Forrester doesn't feel equal to entertaining • she has had a bad night. If she feels better at luncheon time Mr Luttrell may come in then. You may go ; we never need service at breakfast.'*

The Indian salaamed and vanished, and as '-oon as he had left the room Helen rose and locked the doer, and hung a serviette over the keyhole. "So much for so much," she said as she came back to the table. "Fancy the nun having the impudence to invite himself to breakfast."

'"And fancy you inviting him to luncheon !"

"The oiled feather, dad, dear ; the oiled feather!— it is he best thing in the world to apply to a rusty lock. In all probability Mr Tredennis will be here by that time ; and even if he irn't, I can have a headache, can't I? Now, let us have breakfast, you dear blind old bat. Be useful and cvi the oread — it doesn't seem to strike anybody that \ie Mould prefer to have toast. And /hile you arc doing it f will pour out the tea. We are again" in a bod portion, it seems, for Betty has been dismissed (and, of course, Marjory ■with her), and we hive fouud friends and allies only to lose them and tc Oh, dear! what bad taste. Ihev've sent us giound sugar for our tea, dad, instead of lump sugar, and s-o "

So, a discovery ! For as she thrust a spoon into it she became aware that, immediately below the surface, there was a layer of ppper, and, lifting that layer out, discovered it to be six sheets of note paper folded in the middle, and accompanied by a note from Betty Millet. "I>eai Miss Helen,"' the note ran, "I played my part too well last night, it seems, for Sir Nigel's command has made it Impossible for me to come un to you again, and mother is in despair. "You will be told that I have been dismissed, but it is, not so ; I am merely ordered to go into ray room and keep out of Mght whenever you or Sir Nigel are about, and mother has been told that if any gentleman calls to see you she is to say that you and Sii Nigel received a wire diiectly after youi airival last evening announcing" the death of a lich relation in Scotland who had left all his money to you, and that you left by the earlitst tiam this morning. She is al«o to give the gentleman a letter (the Luttrell man sat up for hours last nicjhr writing it), and to -ay that Sir Nigel left it for "him. D--AI- Miss iTelen, *lut dees it all mean? Wo can't make head or tail cf it, mother and I, and the Luttreils hive told us noth.ng. They only s-ay tl.at Sii Nigel has lost all his money, and has done something that makes him want to hide awry. And they sjy, too, that mother and I will be accounted as accomplices, and will run the rMt of penal servitude if we stand by you. Mother said from the fiist that she knew that was a lie, and as she has been so many years connected with the family, and know? all the history of it, she believes, from the biinging in of East Indians, that it must have something to do with Lady Adela's secret and the Great Ruby of Ceylon. Has it? Please tell us il you think it best, dear Miss Helen. I

h.ive bidden *oir>o s-licets of paper in the bi^iu alonu -with tins note, ant I li-ivg siack <i lead pencil out of sijhfc in the lorf of brend. I am afr.iid ail olher ■^rriuJii liuit. v'lls Trill be tvl:en ay, ay in tins, ami 1 -.rout you to b;> prepared. A note tucked m the <-ucjar will come straight don-n to me. Your loving Betty. "' '•Hot clever of hor ! How clever of her," ■ said Helen as she rend this note, and then ! parsed it over to Sir 2\igel. "I'll send I her a reply at once, dad, and' tell htr what ] to do -when Jack TisJennis comes" ! And on that she acted. But, olas for ; her hopes- the day wore on and brought 1 not the slightest sign of Tredenms's com- < J"S- | (To be continued.)