when I saw how alarmed and how anxious he was about me. Nothing
more passed between us on the way back. Confronted by the
dreadful discovery that I had now made, I was silent and
helpless. Of the guilty persons concerned in the concealment of
the birth, and in the desertion of the infant, my nobly-born,
highly-bred, irreproachable aunt now stood revealed before me as
one! An older woman than I might have been hard put to it to
preserve her presence of mind, in such a position as mine.
Instinct, not reason, served me in my sore need. Instinct, not
reason, kept me passively and stupidly silent when I got back to
the house. "We will talk about it to-morrow," was all I could say
to Michael, when he gently lifted me from my horse.

I excused myself from appearing at the luncheon-table; and I drew
down the blinds in my sitting-room, so that my face might not
betray me when Lady Claudia's maternal duty brought her upstairs
to make inquiries. The same excuse served in both cases--my ride
had failed to relieve me of my headache. My aunt's brief visit
led to one result which is worth mentioning. The indescribable
horror of her that I felt forced the conviction on my mind that
we two could live no longer under the same roof. While I was
still trying to face this alternative with the needful composure,
my un cle presented himself, in some anxiety about my continued
illness. I should certainly have burst out crying, when the kind
and dear old man condoled with me, if he had not brought news
with him which turned back all my thoughts on myself and my aunt.
Michael had shown the General his letter and had given notice to
leave. Lady Claudia was present at the time. To her husband's
amazement, she abruptly interfered with a personal request to
Michael to think better of it, and to remain in his place!