It was not until they had once more retired to the boudoir, and Primrose had thrown herself at her mother's feet upon the hearthrug, and had grown gradually soothed and calmed by the soft touch of the loving motherly fingers in her golden hair, that she suddenly started up with the hitherto unthought-of question; "Then is the beautiful earl, whom I worshipped in my childish days, and who was so good to me, indeed my own father? Sweet mother, in finding you I had forgotten I must needs also learn to love a new father, other than my dear old dad, who has been all to me? Can it be that I am the Earl of Bryn Afon's daughter?" "'Thereby hangs a tale,' sweetheart," answered Lady Bryn Afon, catching her breath painfully for a moment. "Have patience with me, and you shall know all of my own sad history and yours that I may at present tell." "But tell me first, dear mother," cried Primrose eagerly, "may I see my father to-night? Is he here with you? Methinks I will soon learn to love that beautiful hero of my childhood, and learn to call him 'father'! Oh, when you said just now that you and I alone must at present share this happy secret, you did not surely mean apart from him!" Tears filled her mother's eyes. "I feared me it would be a wound for your loving heart, dear daughter," she said in a trembling voice. "Yet it must be even so for a time. Trust me, and all shall at last, I hope, go well. Yes, you are indeed the earl's own daughter, yet for reasons I dare not put aside, I may not yet suffer him to know of your existence, save only as my sweet and dearly-loved companion; and you--you must yet save up for him in your heart that store of love which, you tell me, you have these many years saved up for me, and in time, I pray God, it shall not be wasted. Only wait a while. I have waited nineteen years to claim my only child! Let her be brave likewise, and wait her mother's pleasure ere she claims a father!" "I will trust and obey you, dear mother," said Primrose, though tears of disappointment stood in her eyes; "but shall I not even see him? I should dearly love to look upon his face, if it were but once, and methinks I could pretend bravely to be nought save your humble attendant." "He is now out of town with our chaplain," said Lady Bryn Afon; "but he returns ere long, and you shall then see him, if I may surely trust you, ere I take you with me once again to spend a few happy weeks at Glyn Helen, which I hope to do next month, when my husband will be in close attendance on the king. I grieve to thwart your loving heart, my darling, but you shall hear my tale, and after that judge me as you will. Tell me first, however, ere I begin my relation, whether you know aught of the curse which hangs over our family, and whether your faithful guardian has indeed been true to the trust I placed in him?" "I know nothing of it, dear mother," answered Primrose, "but the fact of its existence, and that it is