Produced by Al Haines [Frontispiece: 'I HAVE SEALED THE DIRECTIONS IN THIS ENVELOPE.'] THE CARVED CUPBOARD BY AMY LE FEUVRE AUTHOR OF 'PROBABLE SONS,' 'TEDDY'S BUTTON,' 'LEGEND LED,' 'ODD MADE EVEN,' 'HEATHER'S MISTRESS,' ETC. R.T.S., 4 Bouverie Street, London, E.C. 4 1899 Contents CHAPTER I A SUPPLANTER CHAPTER II FOUR VERSES CHAPTER III A COUNTRY HOME CHAPTER IV BLUEBEARD'S CUPBOARD CHAPTER V A QUIET SUNDAY CHAPTER VI A DEPARTURE CHAPTER VII UNREST CHAPTER VIII ENTERTAINING A STRANGER CHAPTER IX GWEN'S RESOLVE CHAPTER X CLARE'S DISCOVERY CHAPTER XI AGATHA'S LEGACY CHAPTER XII OUT IN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER XIII HIS LAST MESSAGE CHAPTER XIV THE COUSINS' RETURN CHAPTER XV ALICK LESTER CHAPTER XVI BRINGING BAD TIDINGS CHAPTER XVII ELFIE'S CHOICE CHAPTER XVIII PATTY'S GRAVE CHAPTER XIX THE RIGHTFUL HEIR CHAPTER XX BROUGHT BACK ILLUSTRATIONS 'I HAVE SEALED THE DIRECTIONS IN THIS ENVELOPE.' . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ AND SAW A MAN ON HIS KNEES BY THE CUPBOARD THE CARVED CUPBOARD CHAPTER I A Supplanter 'For troubles wrought of men, Patience is hard.'--_J. Ingelow._ The firelight shone upon a comfortably-furnished drawing-room in one of the quiet London squares, and upon four girlish figures grouped around a small tea-table. Agatha Dane, the eldest, sat back in her chair with a little wrinkle of perplexity upon her usually placid brow. Rather plump and short of stature, with no pretensions to beauty, there was yet something very attractive in her bright open countenance; and she was one to whom many turned instinctively for comfort and help. Gwendoline, who sat next her, and was doing most of the talking, was a tall, slight, handsome girl, with dark eyes that flashed and sparkled with animation as she spoke, and there was a certain stateliness of carriage that made some of her acquaintances term her proud. Clare was toying absently with her spoon and tea-cup; she was listening, and occasionally put in a word, but her thoughts were evidently elsewhere. She had not the determination in her face that was Gwendoline's characteristic; and perhaps the varying expressions passing over it, and so transparent to those who knew her, formed her chief charm. There was a wistfulness in her dark blue eyes, and a look of expectation that one longed to see fulfilled; and her dreamy preoccupied manner often made her friends wonder if she spent all her time in dreamland. Elfrida sat on the hearth-rug with her sunny hair glistening in the firelight. She was the youngest and prettiest of the four, and had only just returned from Germany that same day. It was her eager questioning that was making them all linger over their tea.