But Mrs. Boyd would not be persuaded. She began to talk incoherently, and suddenly raising her head and leaning on one elbow said--"send them away. It is all true as I told you. You are not my own child, but I have loved you all these years, oh, you _will_ stay with me! I can feel that it will not be for long. It is there in the drawer--I wrote it out. It took so long and I was so tired, so tired! Give it to them and send them away. Oh, Lilian, he is not your father. Promise me you will not go with him." Lilian opened the drawer. There lay quite a big packet, with the superscription,--"For my daughter Lilian when I am dead." She simply handed it to Mr. Ledwith. He and Mrs. Barrington left the room. Mrs. Boyd gave way to a wild fit of weeping and Lilian had much ado to comfort her, but presently she soothed her to slumber. "Who heard this story or confession?" he asked as they entered the library. "Mrs. Dane and Miss Arran." "Will they come and listen? They can tell whether the two will agree and point out any discrepancy." It was written in a shaky hand and evidently at intervals, many words misspelled and phrases repeated, but with a passionate sincerity and an overwhelming love for the child whose mother she thought dead, and she fancied the baby might be thrown on the charity of the world, but she knew even then it was not her baby but the longing for the child was pitiful. Mrs. Barrington was reading it and now and then her voice faltered. "Oh," said Miss Arran, "they are alike except that this seems more pathetic. There is no doubt of the truth in my mind. Of course _she_ saw the difference as Miss Lilian grew older and she was afraid she might have defrauded her of some better fortune. Oh, I pity the poor woman profoundly. She had a hard life. Mrs. Barrington, this must have seemed a haven of rest to her. Providence must have guided you." "It is certainly remarkable," subjoined Mr. Ledwith. "I will see Dr. Kendricks this evening, but I think we had better wait until after Christmas so as not to mar the happy reunion of that day. Then we must see how the Major will take it. It is one of the things he almost never refers to, and he was afraid of intensifying the loss by having the body brought here for burial. Truly there are many strange happenings in this world. I am requested to look up another child that was given out for adoption, and now has a fortune coming to it after twenty years." CHAPTER X UNRAVELING TANGLED THREADS Sunday morning was glorious. There had been a light fall of snow and every tree and shrub was in feathery whiteness, while the sky was as blue as June. The sun came up through the long levels of yellow light more golden than ever until every branch and twig shimmered in iridescent hues.