“It is mine. Give it to me,” she said, imperiously, and he leaned forward and placed it in the clasp of the trembling little fingers. Something like a spasm of delight shook the frail young form as she held for the first time in her hands the letter so full of sweet assurances of Talbot’s love. Then, oh, matchless woman’s love, the girl standing there with the black shadow of the scaffold lowering over her golden head, in deadly peril of her life through her husband’s sin, lifted to her quivering lips that strangely found treasure and kissed it once, twice, thrice! There was a moment’s breathless pause of wonder, sorrow, pity, then an uncontrollable thunder of applause shook the court-house to its center. The heart of humanity had been thrilled to its core by this impulsive emotion. “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” Mr. Davenport drew his client to a seat in a glow of satisfaction, feeling that the incident of the letter had done more for her cause than all his powerful speech. Alas, the counsel had not done haranguing the jury yet. Order was restored as soon as possible, and the lawyer resumed his speech. But he had not spoken ten words before another interruption occurred. Kitty May, Mrs. Strangemore’s maid, who had come into court with her and Miss Drusilla, suddenly uttered a piercing shriek, and fainted. “The devil take the women’s tongues,” savagely muttered the lawyer who was again compelled to suspend his speech until the unconscious maid was carried out of court into the fresh air. Full of wonder and vexation Miss Drusilla Strangemore followed the bearers to the door. She was quite indignant with Kitty May for having nerves and fainting away just like a fine lady. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE GHOST AGAIN. They laid Kitty May down in the fresh air and bathed her face and hands in cold water. Under this vigorous treatment she soon gasped and opened her eyes. Miss Drusilla who had been bending solicitously over her, immediately relaxed her anxiety and assumed an expression of acerbity. “Kitty May, I should like to know what you mean by such foolishness,” she exclaimed, severely. Kitty’s eyes flared open with a dazed look upon Miss Drusilla’s face. “Oh, Miss Strangemore, please don’t be angry. I couldn’t help it,” she faltered, “I was so frightened. Didn’t you see it yourself, dear Miss Drusilla?” “See what, girl? What are you talking about anyway?” Kitty raised herself to a sitting posture and swept a startled glance around her. Then a sigh of relief escaped her lips. “It is gone, it is not here. But I saw it as plain as day in the court room! Oh, Miss Drusilla,” she added, in a whisper, “it was Mrs. St. Alban’s ghost again! I saw it right there among a crowd of people. She was holding a little black veil away from her face and glaring at Miss Nina fit to kill her! Oh, me, what have I ever done to that woman that she should haunt me so?” moaned Kitty, despairingly.