"Poor Jewel, you must not think too hardly of her, Laurie," she said, with womanly compassion. "Remember the jealous nature and the taint of madness that she inherited from her mother. Remember her fatal love for you that set into active motion the wickedest elements of her strange nature." "I can remember all; but it will still be impossible for me to forgive her all that she made my darling suffer," he replied. "But, Laurie, dear, she is raving mad, and has been so ever since Lord Clive went away declaring that he would kill you for the wrong you had done to Flower." "It was very noble in Lord Clive. I should have deserved death if I had done as Jewel Fielding said I had," he replied. "So Jewel is incurably insane," went on Mrs. Meredith. "She believes that Lord Clive killed you, and she hates Flower so terribly that she is always crying out for her sister's life. Is it not horrible? But she will be removed to an asylum to-morrow, and the physicians declare that she will never regain her senses. But, oh, Laurie, what do you think she did to cap the climax of her evil deeds?" "I can not imagine what more horrible thing she could have committed," her son replied. "Could you not? Well, that wretched mother of hers, who was sent to the lunatic asylum, you know, regained her senses more than two years ago, but Jewel, by the connivance of a wicked physician, would not permit her to return to the world again. Our sweet Flower found it out through a letter that Jewel dropped accidentally, and--" "Hasten, mother," he interposes, imploringly. "Yes," said Mrs. Meredith--"so we have got her out of the asylum. She is here with us, so changed, so penitent, and so fond of Flower, and grateful for getting out of her prison. She has forgiven Charley Fielding since she read his diary, and found out all that he suffered in his terrible remorse for his sin. But, Laurie, the only amusing thing of all that has happened was that Io fell in love with Lord Clive because he took Flower's part so bravely and was going to kill you. She declares he is the greatest hero in the world." "I hope she will console him for Flower's loss; but, mother, how you gossip when you know--" She did not wait to hear the sentence finished, but went out, and stayed fifteen minutes, that seemed like fifteen years to her son's impatient heart. Then she came back and led him and little Douglas to a room a little lower down the corridor. She opened the door, and Laurie saw a lovely, pale face lying back upon a pillow, a smile of welcome on the tender lips. With a wildly throbbing heart he went in and closed the door. Went in to find once more a love and happiness lost so long, but regained now for all time and all eternity. THE END. The Housewife's Manual _or How to Keep House and Order at Home_ [Illustration] Complete information on all matters pertaining to the operation of a happy household.