loosely, and added it to the growing store of silver in
the old-fashioned tin box where she kept her money.
Then she put on her apron and hurried out, with the
cheese and the butter in her hands, to the beautifully
arranged, exquisitely clean meat safe, which had been
cleverly fixed to one of the windows of the scullery
soon after her arrival at the Trellis House.

The next morning Mrs. Otway came home, and
within an hour of her arrival the mother and daughter
had told one another their respective secrets. The
revelation came about as such things have a way of
coming about when two people, while caring deeply
for one another, are yet for the moment out of touch
with each other's deepest feelings. It came about,
that is to say, by a chance word uttered in entire
ignorance of the real state of the case.

Rose, on hearing of her mother's expedition to
Arlington Street, had shown surprise, even a little
vexation: "You've gone and tired yourself out for
nothing -- a letter would have done quite as well!"

And, as her mother made no answer, the girl, seeing
as if for the first time how sad, how worn, that same
dear mother's face now looked, came close up to her
and whispered, "I think, mother -- forgive me if I'm
wrong -- that you care for Major Guthrie as I care for
Jervis Blake."

[[235]]

p234 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p235w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p236

v?