“You do not fear me, and I have power to keep you here indefinitely?” she retorted, flushing angrily. “That may be, but there will come a day of reckoning sooner or later,” Brownie replied, dauntlessly. “You do not suppose,” she added, scornfully, “that in this nineteenth century you can keep me concealed for any length of time. I shall be missed, if I am not already, and the whole house searched for me.” “You have been missed by the whole house and grounds have been thoroughly searched for you, but no one has thought of looking here for you, Miss Douglas,” Mrs. Coolidge replied, with a malicious gleam in her eyes. Brownie’s heart sank, and she grew whiter about the mouth at these words, but she would give no outward sign of the growing fear in her heart. “May I ask how long you intend to keep me in solitary confinement? You are aware, perhaps, that people cannot live very long shut up in a dark place like this,” she said, thinking to frighten her into letting her go. The woman started. She had not thought of its being solitary confinement before, and it was a good while before the grand wedding would come off. She meditated a moment before replying, then she said: “I will endeavor to see that you do not suffer, Miss Douglas, but I must keep you here for the present. Undoubtedly you know that Isabel is to marry Sir Charles Randal very shortly, and I am resolved that nothing shall interfere with that match. If I should let you go now, you would raise such a breeze for us that everything would be upset. There is only one condition upon which I would release you,” she concluded, with a searching look into the young girl’s face, and really feeling anxious to let her go, if she would only keep silence. “What is that?” demanded Brownie, quickly. “That you would go quietly away from Vallingham Hall and conceal yourself from everybody until after the wedding; then, I promise you, we will return the jewels to you.” The delicate lips curled, and the lovely eyes flashed ominously. “Will you?” asked her enemy. “No! I will not yield to you in a single point!” was the haughty reply. “Very well, there is nothing more to be said, then. I will arrange a good bed for you, give you plenty of books and papers to read, and bring you food three times a day. You shall have plenty of candles, too, so that I imagine you will manage to exist quite comfortably for a few weeks,” and she left the room as she spoke. Mrs. Coolidge soon returned, and Isabel with her, bringing a mattress, bedclothes, and a tray containing a dainty supper, the former having taken care to provide it, knowing that her prisoner had been long without food. They also brought her a chair, and left her a candle, and then retired, leaving her somewhat anxious for the future, but by no means subdued. Left to herself, Brownie’s first work was to eat her supper, for she was really very hungry, and the inner man thus strengthened she felt somewhat more cheerful.