I never heard the name more
than five or six times."
"Then, as a matter of course," she said, "you never heard of me."
"I am at a loss to know whether I should address you as kinswoman or
not," was my confused reply.
"It would take a bench of lawyers to decide," she said. "My mother was a
favorite cousin of Sir Barnard. I think, but I am not sure, that once
upon a time he was fond of her himself. My mother married a French
gentleman, Monsieur d'Aubergne, and at her death Sir Barnard kindly
offered me a home here, since I had no other."
"Is your father living?" I asked.
"Alas! no; he died when I was a child. There had been some quarrel
between my mother and Sir Barnard; perhaps he never forgave her for
marrying a Frenchman. During her lifetime he never wrote to her or took
the least notice of me."
"And then offered you his home?"
"Then he adopted me," she said, looking earnestly at me; "treated me in
every way as his own child. I have been with him ever since. I have no
home except here at Crown Anstey, and I had not a sou in the world
except what he gave me. Ah! I miss him so sorely.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33