332 The Leather Plater. 



of triumph at me, as much as to say, "You see that I've done what 

 I always said I would." 



I was not in the best of tempers just then, and I had never quite 

 forgotten Miss Annie's conduct towards poor Frank, who was as 

 decent and worthy a young fellow as ever lived, so I " countered on 

 her " in this fashion : " I'm so glad to find that your ladyship," with 

 a slight stress on the word, "'still remembers some of us in the old 

 county. If I had not thought that you had quite forgotten him, I 

 would certainly have brought Frank over as well as the horse. He's 

 waiting for me in the jockey's tent/' I watched her keenly as I 

 said this, but I would have given worlds to have recalled the speech 

 as soon as I had uttered it, for her face wore such an expression of 

 bitter anguish, as she leaned over the side of the carriage and asked 



me, in a low, plaintive tone, " Is it generous of you, Mr. , thus 



to remind me of the only event in my past life upon which I can 

 never look back without shame ?" 



The old officer was most affable, and politely asked me to stay 

 and take lunch, which the servants were just then unpacking. We 

 could not get the horse near to the carriage on account of the rails, 

 so "her ladyship " begged me to hand her out and escort her to 

 him, which I did j and I really think he knew her again as she 

 passed her delicate, lavender-kidded hand over his soft nose and 

 sleek shiny neck. She asked me, in an under-tone, if I had seen 

 her old father lately, and, unfastening a splendid brooch, in which 

 was braided a lock of her raven hair, along with one of her husband's, 

 she begged me, as a particular favour, to ride over when I came 

 home, and give it to him with " his little Annie's love." She had 

 already written to old Jack a long letter announcing her marriage, 

 not one word of which did the old man believe. However, on the 

 very day that she came of age, he appeared at the Hall, and, to the 

 surprise of both Annie and her husband, related to them her full his- 

 tory. He had kept a strict account of every shilling which he had 

 disbursed for her, and handed over the credentials for the two thou- 

 sand which had been invested in his name. Not a shilling of this, 

 however, would Annie touch, and she cheerfully gave it up to the 



