Moreover, Lady Temple's mind became extremely uneasy as to the manner

in which Rachel might accept her exploit. All her valour departed as she

figured to herself that young lady discrediting the alarm, and resenting

her interference. She did not repent, she knew she could not have helped

it, and she had rather have been tortured by Rachel than have left the

victims another hour to the F. U. E. E., but she was full of nervous

anxiety, little as she yet guessed at the full price of her courage; and

she uttered more than once the fervent wish that the Colonel had been

there, for he would have known what to do. And Alison each time replied,

"I wish it with all my heart!"

Wrought up at last to the pitch of nervousness that must rush on the

crisis at once, and take the bull by the horns, this valiant piece of

cowardice declared that she could not even return the girls to their

homes till Rachel knew all about it, and gave the word to drive to the

Homestead, further cheered by the recollection that Colonel Keith would

probably be there, having been asked to luncheon, as he could not dine

out, to meet Mr. Grey. Moreover, Mr. Grey was a magistrate and would

know what was to be done.

Thus the whole party at the Homestead were assembled near the door,

when, discerning them too late to avoid them, Lady Temple's equipage

drew up in the peculiarly ungraceful fashion of waggonettes, when they

prepare to shoot their passengers out behind.

Conrade, the only person who had the advantage of a previous view, stood

up on the box, and before making his descent, shouted out, "Oh, Aunt

Rachel, your F. U. thing is as bad as the Sepoys. But we have saved the

two little girls that they were whipping to death, and have got them in

the carriage."

While this announcement was being delivered, Alison Williams, the

nearest to the door, had emerged. She lifted out the little muffled

figure of Lovedy, set her on her feet, and then looking neither to the

right nor left, as if she saw and thought of no one else, made but one

bound towards Colonel Keith, clasped both hands round his arm, turned

him away from the rest, and with her black brows drawn close together,

gasped under her breath, "O, Colin, Colin, it is Maria Hatherton."

"What! the matron?"

"Yes, the woman that has used these poor children like a savage. O,

Colin, it is frightful."

"You should sit down, you are almost ready to faint."

"Nothing! nothing! But the poor girls are in such a state. And that

Maria whom we taught, and--" Alison stopped.

"Did she know you?"

"I can't tell. Perhaps; but I did not know her till the last moment."




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