"Humph! Well, my lad, I do make it a rule never to lend money, but seeing that it is you, Orthur, a lad that I can trust--" "Oh, yes, sir, you may trust me." "I will let you have the money." "Thank ye, sir, and I'll go at once." CHAPTER TWELVE. A FATAL ATTRACTION. "You, Isabel dear!" cried Laura one day, as the visitor whom she had looked upon as a sister was shown into the room. "Yes, dear, I felt obliged to come. Don't, pray don't be ashamed of me and think me weak," pleaded the poor girl, as they embraced and then sat down together upon the couch. "How can you say such things!" cried Laura, warmly, as she passed her arm about her friend's waist. "Because I feel that I deserve it, dear. I know how weak and foolish I am. I have been watching for an hour till I saw him go out." "You have been watching, Bel?" "Yes, dear; from a brougham with the blinds partly drawn down. We are in town now. Papa says I must have a change, and we are staying here for a few days before they take me over to Paris. Laura dear, I was obliged to come. Don't betray me, please, to anyone. They would be so angry if they knew, and say that I was shameless. I suppose I am, dear, but I hope you can sympathise with me a little." "Not a little, Bel dear," cried Laura, warmly, and Isabel flung her arms about her friend's neck, buried her face in her breast and sobbed violently for a few minutes before she raised her thin white face and said quite calmly, with a piteous smile on her lip-- "There, I told you how weak I was. I feel so much better now. I would have given anything for days and days to cry like that, but I could not. My head has been hot, and my brain seemed dry and burnt up. Now I can talk. But tell me, is--is he likely to come back?" "No," said Laura, shaking her head. "He will not be back till night, and even if he did return he would not come here, but go straight to his room and shut himself in." "Has--has he told you anything?" "No, dear; he hardly ever speaks either to me or aunt. He did say that he was kept away to attend an important patient." "Yes, yes, of course. That must be it." Laura was silent. Aunt Grace had sown a seed in her heart which had begun to grow rapidly, in spite of her sisterly efforts to check it as a noxious weed. "Well, why don't you speak?" cried the visitor, sharply. "Because I have nothing to say." Isabel flushed up, and Laura stared at her, wondering whether this was the placid, gentle girl whom she had known so long. "Then why have you nothing to say?" cried Isabel, angrily. "He is your brother, and if all the world is turning against him, is it not your duty to defend--to try and find excuses for his conduct?" "Isabel!"