“But, after she is twelve, Edward?  What then?  Oh, I can never part with her,” said Mrs. Claire, now weeping freely.

“Two years will pass ere that time.  Jasper may have other purposes in view when our present contract expires.”

“You will see him in the morning?”

“O yes.  I must understand all about this matter.  What can it mean?  ‘Needful care to her education!’ A mere hypocritical pretence.  What does he care for her, or her education?  What, in fact, does he know of her?  Nothing at all.  Has he ever called to see her?  Has he ever made the first inquiry after her?  No.  There is something wrong, without doubt.  This movement bodes no good to our dear child.  But she has one friend who will stand between her and harm—­who will protect her, if need be, at the risk of his own life.”

Claire, as his words indicate, had suffered himself to become much excited.  Seeing this, his wife recovered, to some extent, her own self-possession, and spoke to him soothingly.

“We will wait and see what it means,” said she.  “Mr. Jasper cannot force her away from us now, if he would.”

“After seeing him to-morrow, you can understand better what we are to expect.  This note may have been written from some momentary feeling.  I cannot think that he has a settled purpose to take the child from us.”

“Time will show,” was the abstracted response.

Not for years had so unhappy an evening been spent by Edward Claire and his wife; and when they retired, it was to pass the night in broken intervals of sleep.

Early on the next morning, Claire called at the store of Jasper, who received him with cold politeness, and at once came to the matter uppermost in both their thoughts, by saying—­

“You received my note?”

“I did,” was the reply.

“Well?  All right, I suppose?”

“Fanny is not twelve years of age yet!”

“Isn’t she?  Well, what of that?” There was some impatience in the manner of Jasper.

“I agreed to take the care of her until she was twelve.”

“Well—­well—­suppose you did?  I’m her guardian, and wish to have her now in my own family.  If you agreed to keep her, I did not say that she should positively remain.”

“There was a contract signed to that effect,” firmly replied Claire.

“A contract!  Humph!  Are you sure?”

“Very sure.  You drew it yourself.”

“Have you a copy of it?”

“I have.”

Jasper seemed thrown aback by this.  He had not forgotten the contract, for all his affected ignorance thereof.  He only hoped that Edward had, through carelessness, lost his copy.  But he was mistaken.

“A contract!  A contract?” said Jasper, as if communing with his own thoughts.  “I do remember, now, something of the kind.  And so there was a written contract?”

“Yes, sir; and I have a copy in your own hand.”