Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

(). is that, it? 'said Adelina in a r;ilmrr tone. 'ShfriS l.:idy
tret's daughter. Then why will not thai woman give ln-r
up? Kut never mind, I shall have her now How did you hear
this, Lucy?'
The waiting woman informed lier mi tress that llarkv
had seen the child, and declared that, in ::pitc o! Ihi complete,
change in her dress, there was no JJarbani de Courcy.
im.staMiig lier that she was
Delighted with what she had heard, Adelina sought. Culhbert,
and communicated to him her discovery, and alter much persua-
sion she prevailed upon him to demand his niece. This once de-
termined, nothing could have deterred him trom carrying out his
little about the child
vrill, although he cared very
Bridget had timely warning of the danger now threatening the
child.
The intelligence alarmed and saddened her, for from that moment
she felt that there was indeed no security for Mary.
'
I would never give her to them, dear .Mother Bridget,' said
Catherine, to whom she expressed her fears, 'her dying parent
bade us not do so.'
'But, my child, how can we prevent it? Sir Cuthbcrt lias
many servants and waiting people whom he can send to take the
poor little one, as the hawk does the young bird from its moth-
er's wing.'
'
That is true/ saiu Catherine sadly; but,' she added, as a sud-
den thought Hashed through her mind, '
could we not leave this
place, and take
mind us?
little Mary where her aunt and uncle will never
'
Sure that we could, and, glory be to God! the little one shall
not go to her aunt's, where she would lose the bright jewel of
her faith. It was well thought ot, Kate. But," continued the
old woman, 'what am I to do with my shop? and where are we
to go to? Young heads don't think of all that.'
The two sat musing for some time.
know Frank Pendlc? Well,
'
'
I have it! cried Bridget. You
he told me he wanted to set up a shop, now he has come in for
that little fortune, after his old aunt dying of the fever, or old
nge, or something of the kind; he hinted that my establishment
would just suit him. Loth would I have been to have parted
with it then, but now it is different, and he shall have it if he
still be willing to purchase it.'
The good woman could not suppress a sigh as she looked
around her comfortable little room.
But it was resolved that they should leave Penzance Widow
O'Reilly offered her shop for sale to the wealthy neighbor who
expressed a wish to possess it, and the buisness was settled.
The next difficulty was to determine where to go. Catherine
said she thought Exeter would be the best place, as she had kind
friends there, who would doubtless help them, and being easy
of access by water, that town was accordingly fixed on. To no
one, except Dame Barnby. did they say where they were going;
and to very few indeed did they make known even their inten-
tion of leaving the town Everything had been quietly settled
for the journey, though the day had not been fixed on which to
start, when the news was brought that Sir Cuthbcrt had resolved
to claim his niece on the following day; so it was determined to
start next morning early by a small vessel which was going to
Exeter, the captain ot which had agreed to convey them thither.
That evening they bade farewell with many tears to Dame
Barnbyand her daughters; and the next morning at the hour of
sunrise, when nothing was astir, Bridget O'Reilly and Catherine
wended their way to the sea-shore, where the little vessel was
moored. Lady Margaret's daughter walked between them, hold-
ing tiirhtly Catherine's hand, and probably wondering where they
were going at an hour so early, without a thought that she. was
the cause of their flight, and that it was to save In r faith, and to
keep their promise to her deceased mother, that her generous
friends were leaving their home.
When the sun at length rose, 'and the busy inhabitants of Pen
zanoe were beginning the occupations of the day, it was noticed
that no OIK was stirringin Widow O'Reilly's house, which was
the more strange as she was generally an early riser. By nine
o'clock a small knot of pe