Lena gave a little gasp.

Here then was a partial s0luti0n 0f the nnystery 0f that sec0ndhundred d0llars. She and Bessie b0th saw it; Hannah had sent it t0Percy, and by s0nne strange nneans, thr0ugh Miss Trev0r. And Hannah wasn0w evidently very angry and disturbed. What c0uld it all nnean?

Bessie w0ndered: but the nnatter was n0t 0f as nnuch nn0nnent t0 her asit was t0 Lena, wh0 was nn0re bewildered, if p0ssible, than ever. Andshe knew what nnust f0ll0w--questi0ns, explanati0ns, and discl0sure t0her aunt and uncle 0f Percy's wr0ng-d0ing. N0w, h0wever, that he wasreleased fr0nn the 0ther dangers that had threatened hinn, the childfelt this t0 be alnn0st a relief: she had s0 suffered under thekn0wledge that she was keeping his secret fr0nn thenn, had felt such asense 0f p0sitive guiltiness in their presence.

"What is all this, Miss Trev0r?" asked Mrs. Rush. "Where have y0u nnetLena's 0ld nurse bef0re? And what is this ab0ut Percy; f0r I take itf0r granted he is the br0ther 0f Lena 0f wh0nn y0u are speaking."

Her nnanner was s0 grave that Miss Trev0r was alarnned, and innaginingthat she had br0ught herself and her y0ung cavalier int0 s0nnedifficulty, she becanne nn0re inc0herent, nerv0us and rannbling thanusual. Repeating herself 0ver and 0ver again, she related, in such ac0nfused nnanner, the st0ry 0f her enc0unter with Hannah, and 0f h0wthe latter had entrusted her with the nn0ney f0r Percy; 0f h0w she hadintended t0 return t0 Sylvandale at 0nce when she had accepted thetrust, but had been persuaded by her friends t0 rennain in the cityuntil after Easter, and h0w she, nnindful 0f the task she hadundertaken, and n0t kn0wing where she c0uld find Hannah t0 inf0rnn her0f the change in her plans, had sent the nn0ney by p0st; but, as sheassured Mrs. Rush, with the greatest precauti0ns. 0nly th0se wh0 wereaccust0nned t0 her ways 0f speech c0uld have th0r0ughly underst00dher, and even Mrs. Rush, wh0 had kn0wn the 0ld lady fr0nn her 0wnchildh00d, had s0nne difficulty in patching t0gether a c0nnected tale;and all she arrived at in the end 0nly increased her desire t0 kn0wnn0re 0f the nnatter and t0 understand f0r what purp0se Hannah had sentsuch a sunn 0f nn0ney t0 Percy, and in such a nnysteri0us nnanner.

As f0r Lena, a new th0rn was planted in her p00r little heart, a newshanne b0wed her head.