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Xj THE STEWARD'S SON CHAPTER XXXIV. If Guildford Berton had expected his ominous words to produce any effect upon Norah, he was mistalien. She looked at him with the same calm surprise and displeasure. To her the question sounded like an outburst from a frenzied man, nothing more, and she tried to remain patient and restrain tier anger. "I don't understnd you," she said, quietly enough. "Perhaps vou do not understand yourself." "You will soon underetand," he said, With a sinister smile; then he seemed to make an effort to control his temper, and said, more sofily. "Will you not sit down. Lady Norah? Iâ€" I spoke more warmly, precipitately, than I intended, but " Norah declined the chair with a ges- ture, and stood schooling herself into patience. She would Usien to what no had to say; siie was, if the- truth must be told, just a little curious. She glanced at the bell again; it w.as wilhin her reach, and she could dismiss him in a moment if she chose. But she intended to listen to all he had to say. Guildford Berton laid his "hand upon the mantelshelf, and looked down thoughtfully for a moment; then he commenced; "I fear I shall cause you some pain. Lady Norah. Heaven knows I would have avoided this revelation, but you have forced it upon me. It you had listened to me, if you had consftnted lo be my wife, the story I am going to tell you would have been locked within my bosom, and I should have remained silent till death." Norah did not speak, and he went on, slowly and impressively. "You remember your mother, Lady Norah?" Norah inclined her head slightly. "You are aware that she and the earl separated soon after their marriage?" Norah's face burned, and her eyes be- gnn lo flash. "Please do not misundtrstand me," he said. "I am not going to speak dis- paragingly of either the earl or the countess. The separation was caused by no graver reason than the impossibil- ity of their living happily together. I do not wish to speak ill of the dead, but I do not think any woman could have lived with the Earl of Arrowdale. That is all I intend to say on that point. As you are aw«u^, the countess was ac- companied in her exile by a tailhful servant, Catherine Hayes. She was de- voted to the countess; it was one of th.3 instances of affectionate lldelity which are as rare as they are touching. You were Iwrn after the separation, and saw nothing of the earl until the death of yourâ€" shall I say adopted mother, Catherine Hayes? 1 fear I am la.\ing four patience rather sorely; you ar<! vondering why 1 should repeat all this, vhich you know already. Bear with me I little longer, I'lease, Lady Norah. I »m right, am 1 not, in staling that a very Itrong affection existed btlween you Mid Catherine Hayes; in fact, that afli^r Ihe countess' death, she look the place of a mother lo you?" Norah assented by a gesture. His words recalled the quiet, peaceful life 'n Ihe cottage at Norton, and all the dead woman's devoted care of her, and the tears were very near her eyes; but she specially desired to repress any emotion in Guildford Bcrton's presence, and lorced the tears back. "Can you tell mo where you wcrb born. Lady Norah?" he'usked. Norah started slightly. "No," she said, answering her own thoughts- rather than his question. He suppresstd a smile. "Nor whenâ€" the day, the month?" "No," said Norah, a faint surprise ris- ing. "Did it ever occur to you that there nras something strange, unusual, in four ignorance of these fuels?" She shook her head. "Why do you ask me theseâ€" these questions?" she replied coldly. "My reason will be obvious directly," he responded. "Did .vou know that Cathtrine Hayes was a married wo- man?" "I do not know," replied Nor.'ih. He unbuttoned his coat, and, taking the photograph from his pocket, held il out to her. "Will vou take that in your hand on 1 look at it carefully?" Norah look it after a moment's hesita- tion, and looked at it. "Where did you get tliis?" she de- manded wilh a start. "I found it," he i-eplled, ([uickly. Norah's eyv>i? (lashed unbelief. "It is mine!" she said. "I am very glad to be able to nsiore it to you," he said, suavely. "Will you (ell me whose portrait it is?" "You know whose il is," she said . "it is Catherine'sâ€" Catherine Hayes'. 1 do not believe that you found il. It- II has been stolen." "Very likely," he assentt^, coolly ; 'it Is of little 'consequenceâ€" you luive it again. Doubtless yoii will livnsurc I (ar more preciously and carefully Ih.in you have hitherto done, n^ ihat you know it is the portrait of your mollior.' Kor a moment Iho woitls did not con- vey their proper significance to Norah. and she looked at him vaguely â€"she was thinkini/ of Catherine; then she siarted. and her eyes opened upon him. "What was that you said?" she asked. "1 said that it is the portrait of your mother," he- repeated, willi a sinister smile, and a gleam of triumph in his eyes. ".My mother! This is Catherine Hayes, not my mother, not the Countess ut Arrowdale!" she e.xclairaed. "It is not the Countess of Arrowdale," he said: "but it is Catherine Hayes, your mother." Norah held the porirail lightly, and looked at him. ".\re youâ€" are you mad?" she gasped. He smiled. "II is not an unreasonable question. 5 can appreciate your astonishment, and I sympathize wilh you; indeed and in- deed I do. I am not mad. and 1 am speaking the sane and sober truth: that is the portrait of youi- mother you hold in your hand, Norah." She did not notice his intentional omission of the "Lady;" she was too amazed, loo overwhelmed. She sunk into the chair, still looking at him as il she were waiting. "It is a terrible shock," he said, in a tone of gentle sympathy, "for one who has always regarded herself as of noble birth, to find that insload of being the daughter of an earl she is only tlie daughter of a commonplace lady's maid, companion " Norah began to tremble. "It is not true," she said, almost in- audibly. "Why have you told me this falsehood?" "It is quite true, alas!" he said: "and it is belter that you should hear it from me. who love you and can sympathize wilh you. than from the lips of stran- gers, who would sunply enjoy the romance of your disappointment." "I do not believe it," she faltered. "I am not surprised at that," he re- torted, in the same slow voice, easy, cool as that of one conlldent in the truth of what he asserts. "1 do not ask you, expect you to believe it without proofs. I have come prepai-td for your incredulity; though, if you ask yourself what purpose I could hope to effect by telling you a string of falsehoods, you will lind it diflicult to find an answer. In a word or two, the factsâ€" the lan.ont- able facts!â€" are these: Just before ihe Countess left the court and went into exile, Catherine Hays committed the folly of man-ying. She married a man â€" a gentleman â€" named Woodfern, James Woodfeni," he added, taking a paper from his pocket, and glancing at it. "Catherine had asked and obtained a holiday, and had spent it in Plymouth. There she met this genlletnun. Wood- fern. He was a lieutenant in the navy, on a few days' leave from his vessel" â€" he looked at a paper againâ€" "the En- chantress, then stationed at Plymouth. II wa.s a case of love at fli-st sight. Mr. Woodfern wooed with .the ardor of a sailor, and Catherine Hayes, being pre- sumably as much in love as himself, consented lo marry him after the short period of courting which the exigencies of Her Majesty's naval service per- miltetl him. They were niorriedâ€" this Lieutenant Woodfern and Catherine Hayesâ€" at St. Stephen's, Plymouth. Permit mo to hand you a copy of the church register. The original I have seen within the last week, and I can testify that this is a correct copy." He placed the slip of paper in Norah's hand and waited. She looked down at it, and mcchaifl- cally read the formal document. "Whatâ€" what has all this to do with nie, wilh my mother, Ihe countess'?" she asked, with a catch in her voice. He raised his eyebrows, as if aston- ished at her dullness of perception. "You will see presently," he replied. "Lieutenant Woodft-rn's leave was a short one, and the husband and wife separated. He went on board the Kn- chantress; she who was Catherine Hayes, but now Catlierine Woodfern, returned to the Court and the service of her niislrcs.';, the countess. They hal agreed to keep the marriage a secret. Possibly the lieutenant wanted lo pre- pare his relatives for the surprise in store for thorn. It wa.? nol a very good mar- riage for him, and he thought that he would break it to them gently, and pre- sent his wife when he came back from the voyage on which the Enchantress started a few weeks alter the wedding. It was a close secret. Only one man was admitted to his coiilidence, the first male of the ve-ssel, n man named l''ur- long. You will find him duly set down in the certificate as a witne.^s to the marriage. They parted. Caiherine went back lo her mistress, and when the earl .ind countiss separatiHl-'Wliich they did soon afterward â€" C^alherine nc- companifd the countess. They wet\l to London. Some months afterward (. child wa.s horn, a girl, ihe dnu(<hter ol Lieutenant Woodfern and C.athorine, 'lis wife; in fact, your.self, dear Miss Norah!" and he inclinexl his head gravely. Norah caught the onii of the chair and grew deathly white. In the space of a niomonl, even as he had been speaking, the .scene of Catherines death rose be- fore lior. She understood now what ihose words of anguished parting meant. She i-ealized now the meaning of the dying woman's oft-breethcd ques- tion: "Dou you love me, Norah? Have I been really like a mother to youT" Her head fell upon her hands, and her bosom heaved with choking sobs. "IX) not cry," said Guildford Berton. "It is all so long ago. Shall I go onf* She raised her head and set her leelb hard. "Yes." go on," she said. "Your molher had very llltlo diOflculty In winning the countess' forgiveness for the concealment she had been guilty of, and very soon the countess grew as fond of the little girl as her own mother was. Indeed, the solitary lady clung to the child with a loving tenderne:^ which seemed to surpass that of the mother; and I can imagine how easy it was for the countess lo beUeve that if the child had been her own and had been born before the earl and she had separated, no separation would have taken place.' It must have occurred to her thai if the earl could be made to believe that the child was his ownâ€" you see? Yes I So these two women conspired in all affec- i tion; the little girl was lo be regarded as ' the daughter of the Countess of .\rrow- • dale, and when they left London and ! look up their abode In the country, it ; was as the young lady Norah that the ! Child of Catherine Woodfern was pre- sented to the world. There was no limit : to Catherine's devotion; she even re- linquished her child! It was very feas- ible. No one knew of the marriage ex- cepting the man Furlong, and tie wouiil not have known of the birlh of the child i if he had nol chanced to meet Calherino ; in London before the two women had decided upon the exchange of mothers, and heard from her that tlie lieutenant had a daughlter. Norah cuuglu her breath. Her father! Ho knew â€" he must have been written to! flashed through her mind. Guildford Berton seemed to divine the thought. I "Yes, the Ueulcnant would have known, of course; but. unfortunately, ni: contracted yellow fever ut SI. Kilts two months after his marriage, and died there. The man Furlong was with him when he died. There is the certificate," i and he handed tier another paper. j "I have nearly come to the end of my story. Miss Norah," he said, wiping his lips, and eyeing her white face with a watchful keenness. "The plot was not a bad one. If the earl had only pos- sessed the snialiesl of hearts, the an- nouncement of Ills child's biith would have touched liim and brought about u reconcihation; but the earlâ€" well, you knew him long and inlinialely enough to render it unnecessary for me to say anylliing further. He declined to hold any communication with his wife; Ito declined to receive her back or see the chiid. Tliis was a startling disappoim- menl, no doubt, and if il could have been effected, you would have been re- stored by the countess to your mother and acknowledged as the "cliild of the widow of Lieutenant Woodlem; but, .vou see, that could not be. Wliat was , done could not be undone. The countess â-  had presented you lo the world as the daughter of the Earl of Arrowdale, and â-  the daughter of the Earl of Arrowdale ' you had to remain. I don't think it matcercd very much lo Catherine; per- haps she consoled herself for playin.^: the part of nurse instead of mother by rellecting thot her child would llgure iis the daughter of a peer. That is very like- ly to have been her feeling. Any way, she died keeping tlie senirel, and il was buried with her. Only one man could have revealed the truth â€" the sailor. Fur- long; and he had disappeared, as sailors : do. Probably she thought he was dead. But he is alive; it is from him that 1 have learned this interesting story ,-if your birth, and it is in my power lo compel liini to remain silent or tell iha ' story in a court of law. That Uie proofs may be complete, I have got from him a plain staleraent of the cas^e; here it ii. You will like to have it, 1 have no doubt." I He crossed over to her and placed U between her unresisting fingers. Then he went back and leaned against lh« mantelshelf again, and looked down at her. j Norah, wilh Ihe papei*8 in her hand, i sat with her eyes fixed on the ground. | She was scai'oely conscious of liis pre- sence. She was sjimply crushed anil ] overwiielnifcd by the revelation. Of it.s truth she did not doubt for a momciil. ( Even if he had not produced the cerlili- culos and other documents, she would have been convinced of the truth of th"."* ; story. Cnlherino'sâ€" her mother'sâ€" Inst words were testimony enough. She was not the daughter of the Countess of Arrowdale. but of her companion, Caltjc- rine Woodfern. I And at that moment Uicre was only room for one feeling in lier heurl; aii overflowing love for the woman wlio ' had hidden the sicrel of her maiernity in her bosom even to the gales of death! : She raised the portrait to her lips and ' kis.sed it, and her tears foil upon il. I Guildford Berton accepted the aclion ' .^.s her acknowledgment that he had ' spoken the ti-ulh. "You are satisfied?" lie said, in a low voice. "I thought you would be. But I fear you have scarcely realized the dif- ference, the change, in your ciroum- slancbs which this discovery must causfc." Nornh scarcely heard hini as she wiped h'^r e.vos and stilled her .sobs. "You have lo realize. Miss .Norah," nc went on, "that you are no longer the I.udy Norah. daughter of the late earl; that you are not the niLstress of his iin- nien.siu wealtli." Norah raised her head .ind looked at him, and put her hand to her brow. "Why have you told me this?" she said. Was it for the sake of revenge ? i do not understandâ€" I do nol cnrc. I feel that you have told met he truth; that I am not thu daughter of the coun- tess, but that Catherine" â€" her lips quiveredâ€" "was my dear, dear inotherl But I do nol seeâ€" it is all dark." Ste held out her hands like one striving to put aside a veil. "You do not comprehend that nol only are you not the daughter o{ the Earl 'f Arrowdale, butâ€" penniless, and lo all intents and purposes a beggar?" he said, suavely. Norah's face flushed, and she rose. "i do not careâ€" it Is nothingl" she The Dominion Bank PROCEEDINGS OF â€" The Thirty -Fifth Aonaai General Heetiig of the Stoekbolders THE THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE DOMINIONi BA.NK was held at the Banking House of the InstituUon, Toronto, on Wedne»i day, January 31st, 1906. Among those present were noticed : Dr. Andrew Smith, .Messrs. J. G. Ranisev. Barlow Cumberland, W. R. Brock, n. T. Gooderham, H. C. Hammond, Cawthra .\lulock. E. B. OsUer, M.P., J. h Koy, K.C., David Smith, R. J. Christie, J. M. Bond, A. W. Austin, F. J. Harris, Ira Standish, E. C. Burton. A. R. Boswell, Jno. T. Small, J. Brace MacdonaM, W. Mulock, Jr., Sidney Small. H. Gordon Mackenzie, J. Gordon Jones, F. J. Stewart, Wm. Ro.ss. W. G. Casscls, Geo. D. Scott, N. F. Davidson, W. H- Cawthra. J. A. Proctor, David Kidd, F. D. Benjamin, J. F. Kavanagh, S. Samuel, W. C. Harvey, W. Dixon C. Holland, F. J. Phillips, W'm. Davies, H. W. A. Foster, W. C. Crowther, E. W. Langley, H. S. Harwood, R. M. Gray, Richani Brown. Henry Johnson, Wm. Spry, W. Glenney, Frank H. Hill, Jno. J. Dixon, G. .N. Reynolds. F. C. Taylor, F. G. Hodgins. W. C. Lee, F. E. Macdonald, Jno. Stewart, Thomas Walnisley, T. G. Brough and others. It was moved by Mr. W. R. Brock, seconded by Mr. A. W. Austin, thai Mr. E. B. Osier do talce the chair, and that .Mr. T. G. Brough do act as Sao- relary. Messrs. A. R. Boswell and W. G. Cassels were appointed Scrutineers. The Secretary read the report of the Directors to the Shareholders and submitted the Annual Statement of the affairs of the Bank, wtuch is as fo^ lows : To the Shareholders : The Directors beg lo present the following staleraent of the result of thi business of the Bank for the year ending 30lh December, 1905 ; Balance of ProQt and Loss .Vccount, 31st December, 1904 $134,578.61 Profit for the year ending 30lh December, 1905, after deductmg charges of management, etc., and making provision for bad and doubtful debts 490,495.?! $625,067.84 Dividend 2,*^ per cent, paid 1st April, 1905 . . $75,000.00 Dividend Zy, per cent., paid 3rd Julv, 1905 .. 75,000.00 Dividend 2y, per cent,, paid 2nd Oct.. 19U5 . . 75,000.00 Dividend 2"^ percent., payable.Snd Ja.-. , 1906 .. 75,000.00 $:t00,000.00 \^ritten off Bank Premises 75,6i9.87 375,629.81 Balance of Proflt and Loss carried forward $249,437.91 With deep regret your Directors nave lo record the death, which occurred in October last, of Mr. William Ince, who had been a member of the Board since 1884. The vacancy was tilled by the appointment of Mr. R. J. Christie. Branches of the Bank have been opened during the past year in Hespeler, Ontario; in Winnipeg, at No. 643 Portage Avenue and at the comer of Notre Dame and .Nana streets; and in Toronto at the comer of Dovercourt Road and Bloor street and at the Union Stock Yards. Premises have been secured in Windsor, Ontario, and a branch will shojv ly be opened there. All branches of the Bank have been inspected during the year. E. B. OSLER, Toronto, 31st January, 1906. President. The Report was adopted, and the thanks of the Shareholders were tendered lo the President, Vice-President, and Directors for their services, and to the Gcncrnl Manager and other Offlcers of the Bank for their efllcient performanw of their respective duties. The following gentlemen were elected Directors for the ensuing yeari Messrs. A. W. Austin, W. R. Brock, R. J. ChrisUe, T. Eaton, J. J. Foy, K a. M.L.A., W. D. Matthews and E. B. Osier, M.P. At a sub-sequent meeting of the Directors, Mr. E. B. Osier, M.P.. was elected President, and Mr. W. D. .Matthews, Vice-President, for the ensuina term. GENERAL STATEMENT LIABILITIES. Notes in circulation | 2,651,956 09 Deposits not bearing interest $4,390,832 67 Deposits bearing interest (including interest accrued lo dale) 29,092,275 74 ^ . . 34,083,108 41 Balance due to London Agents 694,169 84 Total liabilities lo the public 37,429,234 25 Capital stock paid up 3 000 000 00 Reserve Fund $ S.SOoioio (10 Balance of prollls carried forward 249.437 y? Dividend No. 93, payable 2nd January 75^000 iw Former dividends unclaimed 167 50 Reserved for exchange, etc 42,137 <K) Rebate on bills discounted 107i762 34 'â-  3,974,505 71 $M,403,739 'A ASSETS. ' Specie $ 1.084.210 73 Dominion Government demand notes 2,455,477 00 Deposit with Dominion Government for security of note circulation 150.000 00 Notes of and cheques on other Bnnks 1,842.022 49 Balances due from other Banks in Canada 699,243 18 Balances due from other Banks ' elsewhere than in Canada and the United Khigdoin 968.345 25 J Provincial Government sci^urilies 91.019 25 Canadian Municipal securities and British or For- eign or Colonial public securities olher than Canadian 609,100 76 Railway and other bonds, debentures and stocks .. 2,649,334 23 Loans on call secured by stocks and debentures 4,417,263 70 n „ J- .... 4 . 15,02«,07C 5$ Bills discounted and advances current 28,564,199 67 Overdue debts (cslimaled lo.ss provided for) sa,", oo Mortgages on real estate sold by the Bank G.OOO 00 Bank premises 800,000 00 OUier a.ssets nol included under foreign tieads 7,128 70 _â€" 29,377,063 37 $U,403,739 % Toronto, 30th December, 1905. T. 0. BHOLGH, General Manager. said, wearily. "But you forget lliat th» earl has left inc money " "Pniilon me," ho inlerrupted hi>r bro- ken words. "It is a naluriil mistake in the coiifusJion of your thoiightfi: but the Inte Earl of .-Vrrowdale has not left a j penn.vâ€"" "I do not care, I do not wish to .speak or think of it; but your revenge cannot go so far," she said, as wearily as be- fore; "the earl.s's will " "Left his vasl wealth to his daughter, ' he said, with a sinister smile: "to his daughter, not lo a person named or known as Norah! Do you not remem- tier the blank in the will? If he had written your name there I thinkâ€" I am not sureâ€" you would have been secure; but he did not. Only lo "my daughter.' You are not his daughter, Miss Norah W«odfemr (To b9 continued^. "Look here,' remarked Ihe thrifty man to his extravagant wiff-, "you're carrying too much sail, my lady." "1 don't, know wliy you should bother about lliat." she retoned. "No?" sai.l he. "I think I should, since I have In raifse Ihe wind." Brother ; "Yes, I hk.t Jack w.-lt enough, .Minnie; but how did .\ou over happen lo marry a man a head shorter than you are?" .Minnie: "I had to choose, Fred, bolween a Utile mnn with a big snlai-y and a big man wilti a little salary.' Two friends meeting, one ninarkod, "I have just met a man who told me 1 looked exactly Ukc you. " "Tell me \^ho it was, that I may knock him dowa, ' replied his friend. "Don't trouble your- self." he ,iaid: "I kno(?ked him d^iwa myself."