Silverthorns

matters, since the long ago days of hisboyhood, and old memories crowded thickly upon him as he made his wayalong the well-remembered passages, and up the familiar stairs.

  "To think that this was once home to me,"--he thought--"to think of mygrandmother--more than mother as she was to me--having died inprivation, almost in want, after being mistress here for a good part ofher long life. Yes; it would have been hard in any case, but that, wecould have borne uncomplainingly, had we not been treated with suchunnecessary rigour and cruelty. It is very bitter to remember. I havedone well to bring the children up in ignorance of it all."

  But these thoughts were to some extent driven from his mind when heentered the chintz room, and saw Jerry. He had not expected to find theboy looking so ill--he was sitting up in bed eating his breakfast, buthe was very pale and uneasy-looking, and when his father stooped to kisshim, he flung his arms round him, and clutched him convulsively.

  "You've come to take me home, papa," he cried; "I'll be ready directly.Oh, I shall be so glad to go home!"

  "My poor Jerry," said Mr Waldron; "why you talk as if you had been awayfor years. But they've been very kind to you here?"

  "Oh, _very_," said the boy, in a tone of the deepest conviction; "but,papa, I wouldn't sleep here alone another night for _anything_. I can'ttell you all now; but it was like what you told us about. I heard thesobbing and sighing, I did indeed."

  Mr Waldron started a little, but imperceptibly to Jerry.

  "I shouldn't have told it," he said regretfully; "of course I wouldnever have dreamt of doing so had I foreseen this. It was only natural,Jerry, that you should think you heard those sounds, when your mind wasfull of the story, and you were besides not well--excited and feverishprobably."

  "Yes, that was what Miss Meredon said, and--"

  "Does _she_ know you were frightened?" interrupted Mr Waldron insurprise.

  "Oh, yes; but I'll tell you all at home. She tried to satisfy me, andshe said one thing which almost did--that nobody ever hears these soundsexcept one of the family. But I've been thinking after all that can'tbe, for _you_ heard them and you aren't one of the family, so whyshouldn't I?"

  "It only proves that what one fanciful little boy thought he heard,another fanciful little boy may have--no, I won't say _thought_ heheard. I did hear them; but I believe it was perfectly possible theywere caused by owls, and partly perhaps by some peculiar draught of air.This is very old, this part of the house. Did you know that?"

  "Oh, yes; this is the very room you used to have. I remembered thename."

  "Yes," said Mr Waldron, and he looked about him with feelings hislittle son could but very vaguely fathom. It was indeed the very room,as Jerry said; strangely little changed in the more than thirty yearsthat had passed since he saw it. There was the queer cupboard in thewall where he kept his treasures, the old dark mahogany wash-handstandwith the blue and white toilet-ware; yes, actually the very same; thefaded chintz curtains which, in some far-off time when they had been thepride doubtless of some Silverthorns chatelaine, had given its name tothe room; and to complete the resemblance, from where he sat, theglimpse through the window of the snow-covered drive and trees outside.For it was in winter that he and his grandmother had left Silverthorns,as seemed then, for ever.

  But with a sigh he roused himself, and returned to the present.

  "Jerry," he said; "I have not brought a close carriage for you. Weshould have had to get one from the `George,' and in the note last nightsomething was said of the doctor seeing you this morning to say if youcould come."

  "Oh, papa," said Jerry; "I _can't_ stay."

  His father looked at him again. It did seem as if it would do the boyless harm to go than to stay.

  "Very well," he said; "I will try to arrange it."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  MR MILLER'S NEWS.

  There were difficulties to contend with. Lady Mildred, whose hospitableinstincts were aroused, and who felt really anxious about the delicatelittle boy, would not hear of his leaving without the doctor'spermission.

  "He will be here directly," she said; but it was impossible for MrWaldron to wait. He glanced at Claudia in a sort of despair. Sheunderstood him.

  "I am almost sure Mr Webb will say Gervais may safely go," she said;"perhaps if he is fidgety and nervous at being away from--from hismother and all, it would be better to run the risk of cold than toexcite him by keeping him here."

  "Yes," said Mr Waldron, gratefully; "that is just it. Then I may senda close carriage in about a couple of hours."

  "No, certainly not," said Lady Mildred sharply. "If Mr Webb does giveleave for him to go to-day, it shall certainly be in the brougham. Ishall send Mrs Ball or some one with him--"

  "I have some one with me," said Mr Waldron, "waiting in the dog-cart atthe door."

  Lady Mildred almost screamed.

  "Waiting at the door in this weather! My dear Mr Waldron--"

  A few minutes later, as Jerry lay wondering if he might not get up, aslight rustle in the doorway caught his ears, at all times of thesharpest. It was clear daylight, impossible to think of ghosts oranything uncanny; but Jerry's heart nevertheless beat rather faster thanusual for an instant or two. Then there was a little cry, a rushtowards the bed, disjointed exclamations--"Oh, dear Charlotte! is ityou?"

  "My own old Jerry, to think you were nearly lost in the snow. Oh, howmiserable we were! Oh my old Jerry."

  There was some one in the doorway, some one who had brought Charlotteup-stairs, whose eyes filled with tears as she listened to them.

  "Oh, how happy they are to be together, not to have to be separated,"she thought, as her fancy flew off to her own dear ones, Lalage andAlix, and the three little brothers at the Rectory.

  And an hour or two later, Jerry, well wrapped up, and in Charlotte'scareful convoy, was driven home in Lady Mildred's deliciouslycomfortable brougham. How his tongue went, how intense was Charlotte'sinterest in the thrilling experiences of the night before!

  "It is _very_ strange," she said thoughtfully; "indeed the whole thingis too strange. That you should have been put to sleep in that verysame room; oh, I can fancy how frightened you must have been. I don'tthink it was babyish at all."

  For that it had been so, was Jerry's worst misgiving.

  "And oh, Charlotte, she _was_ so kind; whether she's spoilt or not,whatever she is, I shall always say she is very, _very_ kind."

  "Yes, Jerry dear; I will try more than ever to--to like her, at leastnot to be jealous of her: it is a horrible feeling," said Charlotte witha sigh. And a softer feeling than she had yet had towards Claudia cameover her as she thought of all her gentle kindness that very morning;how she had entered into Jerry's gladness when the doctor said he mightgo home; how she had herself seen to the hot-water bottles in thebrougham, and brought the warmest wraps, and insisted on lending herfurred carriage overshoes, as Jerry's boots had shrunk. How lovely shehad looked as she stood at the hall-door to see them off! It had beenimpossible for Charlotte to resist giving her a warm pressure of thehand, and murmuring a hearty "thank you." Afterwards she felt doublyglad that she had done so, though she was far from thinking just now howlong it would be before she saw again the sweet, bright face againstwhose attractiveness she had so resolutely steeled herself.

  Lady Mildred continued uneasy and nervous; she asked Claudia not to goto school that day.

  "For one thing," she said, "it would not be fit for you to go withKelpie, and there is no horse roughed except the one that has gone inthe brougham; and I have a sort of feeling that there may be a telegramfrom Mr Miller as there was no letter. It is possible we may go up totown almost at once."

  But no telegram came.

  The next morning, however, brought a letter from Mr Miller in which hedecidedly seconded Lady Mildred's proposal to spend Christmas in town.If she could manage to do so, he said, it would be in every way moresatisfactory than his coming down to Silverthorns. For the business hewanted to see her about, was not anyth
ing that could be settled at once.He should hope to have several long talks with her.

  "Tiresome man," said Lady Mildred; "why can't he speak out and say whatit is. Claudia, I shall not feel comfortable now till I have seen him.I shall have a telegram this morning to say if I can get the rooms Iwant--my own house, you know, Claudia, has been let since Mr Osbert'sdeath--and it so, I shall decide to go up to-morrow. You must send anote to your Miss Lloyd to say you will be away till after Christmas."

  "Very well, Aunt Mildred," Claudia replied.

  Lady Mildred glanced at her sharply.

  "What is the