When she awoke a new idea flashed upon her with all the

brightness of the morning. Mr. Thornton had learnt her falsehood

before he went to the coroner; that suggested the thought, that

he had possibly been influenced so to do with a view of sparing

her the repetition of her denial. But she pushed this notion on

one side with the sick wilfulness of a child. If it were so, she

felt no gratitude to him, as it only showed her how keenly he

must have seen that she was disgraced already, before he took

such unwonted pains to spare her any further trial of

truthfulness, which had already failed so signally. She would

have gone through the whole--she would have perjured herself to

save Frederick, rather--far rather--than Mr. Thornton should have

had the knowledge that prompted him to interfere to save her.

What ill-fate brought him in contact with the Inspector? What

made him be the very magistrate sent for to receive Leonards'

deposition? What had Leonards said? How much of it was

intelligible to Mr. Thornton, who might already, for aught she

knew, be aware of the old accusation against Frederick, through

their mutual friend, Mr. Bell? If so, he had striven to save the

son, who came in defiance of the law to attend his mother's

death-bed. And under this idea she could feel grateful--not yet,

if ever she should, if his interference had been prompted by

contempt. Oh! had any one such just cause to feel contempt for

her? Mr. Thornton, above all people, on whom she had looked down

from her imaginary heights till now! She suddenly found herself

at his feet, and was strangely distressed at her fall. She shrank

from following out the premises to their conclusion, and so

acknowledging to herself how much she valued his respect and good

opinion. Whenever this idea presented itself to her at the end of

a long avenue of thoughts, she turned away from following that

path--she would not believe in it.

It was later than she fancied, for in the agitation of the

previous night, she had forgotten to wind up her watch; and Mr.

Hale had given especial orders that she was not to be disturbed

by the usual awakening. By and by the door opened cautiously, and

Dixon put her head in. Perceiving that Margaret was awake, she

came forwards with a letter.

'Here's something to do you good, miss. A letter from Master

Frederick.' 'Thank you, Dixon. How late it is!' She spoke very languidly, and suffered Dixon to lay it on the

counterpane before her, without putting out a hand to lake it.




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