My mother married a French gentleman, Monsieur d'Aubergne, and at her death Sir Barnard kindly offered me a home here, since I had no other." "Is your father living ?" I asked.
"Alas! no; he died when I was a child.

There had been some quarrel between my mother and Sir Barnard; perhaps he never forgave her for marrying a Frenchman.

During her lifetime he never wrote to her or took the least notice of me." "And then offered you his home ?" "Then he adopted me," she said, looking earnestly at me; "treated me in every way as his own child.

I have been with him ever since.

I have no home except here at Crown Anstey, and I had not a sou in the world except what he gave me.