"I didn't ask you," said Ida, with a laugh, putting her hand on his

arm. "If we all got our deserts, how sad it would be for everyone of

us."

Mr. Wordley grunted.

"To-morrow I shall pay a sum of money into the bank for you, and you

will have to drive over and get a cheque-book; and you can amuse

yourself by drawing cheques until I come again."

He lingered as long as he could, and kept the carriage waiting some

time; but at last he went and Ida was left alone to face the strange

change in her fortune. She sat before the fire dreaming for a few

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minutes, then she wandered over the old house from room to room; and

every room had its memories and associations for her. In the library

she could almost fancy that her father was sitting in the high-backed

chair which was still drawn up in its place to the table; and she went

and sat in it and touched with reverent, loving hand the books and

papers over which he had been wont to bend. She stood before his

portrait and gazed at it with tear-dimmed eyes, and only the

consciousness of the love she had borne him enabled her to bear his

absence. As she passed through the hall the newly risen moon was

pouring in through the tall window, and, followed by Donald and Bess,

who had not left her for a moment, she opened the great hall door and

went on to the terrace, and walking to the end, stood and looked

towards the ruined chapel in which her father had buried his treasure.

Up to this moment she had been buoyed up by excitement and the joy and

pleasure of her return to the old house; but suddenly there fell a

cloud-like depression upon her; she was conscious of an aching void, a

lack of something which robbed her heart of all its joy. She had no

need to ask herself what it was: she knew too well. Her old home had

come back to her, she was the mistress of a large fortune, she stood,

as it were, bathed in the sunshine of prosperity; but her heart fell

cold and dead, and the sunshine, bright as it was, well-nigh dazzling,

indeed, had no warmth in it. She was a great heiress now, would no

doubt soon be surrounded by friends. She had been poor and well-nigh

friendless that day Stafford had taken her in his arms and kissed her

for the first time; but, ah, how happy she had been!




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