She had steadily turned away her eyes from looking back at
that beautiful evening, when, as if by enchantment, a girl who looked
and spoke like a sister had held her in a loving embrace, lavishing
kisses and loving words upon her, Hetty, who was known to be nobody's
child. The quiet studious days went on as if no brilliant interruption
had ever flashed in upon them. Miss Davis, at Mrs. Enderby's desire,
kept Hetty more than ordinarily busy, and hindered her from paying her
customary visits to Mrs. Kane. Mrs. Enderby distrusted the good woman's
ability to keep a secret, and, with that prudence which had always
distinguished her in her dealings with Hetty, she was resolved that the
girl should hear no whisper to disturb her tranquillity till such time
as her identity should be considered satisfactorily proved.
At the end of three weeks' time, however, news came from London to Mr.
Enderby which placed it beyond a doubt that Hetty was Helen Gaythorne,
the baby who had been supposed to be drowned. Although Mrs. Enderby and
her daughters had been prepared for this result of the inquiries that
had been on foot, yet the established fact, with its tremendous
importance for Hetty, seemed to come on them with a shock.
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