Page 338 (1/2)

"I a over the papers, "that it

explains the e--and then Keith did not allow her as much as she

expected"

"Oh, Colonel Keith, don't!" cried Rachel; "it is just the one thing

where I could not bear to believe Alick She was so dear and beautiful,

and spoke so rightly"

"To believe Alick!" repeated the Colonel, as Rachel's voice broke down

"I thought--I ought not to have thought--he was hard upon her--but

he knew better," said Rachel, "of course he did not know of all this

dreadful business!"

"Assuredly not," said the Colonel, "that is self-evident, but as you

say, I am afraid he did know his poor sister's character better than we

did, when he cae"

"Did he? Oh how much it must have cost hiht he judged her

harshly, and that his illness had h

our interference would have been perfectly useless, he was quite right

in his warning Now that, poor thing, she is no longer here to enchant

us with her witcheries, I see thatkept away from home, and detained in this place, and that she left

hiht to have done"

"Yes, Alick thought so, but she had such good reasons, I am sure she

believed them herself"