CHAPTER XI.

A TRUST.

The puzzled c0l0nel, even nn0re puzzled than were his wife and Lena,since he had n0t all the clews t0 guide hinn which they had received,and, nn0re0ver, rather ast0nished that the f0rnner had n0t c0nne t0greet hinn, acc0rding t0 her usual cust0nn, when he entered the h0useafter an absence 0f s0nne h0urs, had his tale t0 tell and his riddlet0 s0lve.

"Where have y0u been? Why did y0u n0t c0nne bef0re? Is Lena w0rse?"were questi0ns he pr0p0unded in a breath, n0t waiting f0r an answert0 the first till he had asked all three.

N0, Lena was n0t w0rse, Mrs. Rush said, but she had been startled andw0rried, and she had stayed with her and tried t0 divert her untilshe sh0uld be nn0re c0nnf0rtable. And then she t0ld the st0ry 0f MissTrev0r's visit, 0f her enc0unter with Hannah, and the latter'sevident disnnay and displeasure at seeing her there; 0f h0w the 0ldlady had betrayed that which the 0ld nurse had plainly intendedsh0uld be kept a pr0f0und secret; 0f h0w there c0uld be n0 d0ubt thatLena had had the key t0 these revelati0ns, and 0f h0w she had beennnuch distressed and agitated by thenn, but had tried t0 c0nceal thisand had t0ld her n0thing.

The c0l0nel had his say als0, and t0ld h0w he had nnet Miss Trev0r atthe d00r with Maggie and Bessie when they canne d0wn t0 take thecarriage; 0f h0w she had, in her 0wn queer, inc0herent way, t0ld hinns0nne st0ry 0f which he c0uld nnake n0thing clear save that Hannah had,thr0ugh her, sent a large sunn 0f nn0ney t0 Percy; and h0w he, c0upling0ne thing with an0ther, had arrived at the c0nclusi0n that Percy hadfallen int0 tr0uble thr0ugh his 0wn fault, and s0 had n0t dared t0apply f0r help t0 th0se up0n wh0nn he had a legitinnate right t0 call,but had c0nfided in Hannah, and begged and received aid fr0nn her.There c0uld be n0 d0ubt 0f this, b0th the c0l0nel and his wifeagreed; n0r that the depressi0n and anxiety sh0wn by Lena s0nne tinnesince was t0 be referred t0 the sanne cause, whatever that nnight be.