“Jamaica!” exclaimed Blanche. “Oh, Miss Seldon, did you meet any of the well-to-do people? any of the rich planters?”
“Yes,” was the reply, “I had letters of introduction to several families and found them very hospitable; some of them most interesting and agreeable people. I particularly remember one old couple, of English descent, without children, I think—at least I did not hear of any—who made my visit of a couple of days very enjoyable, indeed.”
“What was their name, Miss Seldon?” asked Ethel half breathlessly, for her heart was beating fast between a newly aroused hope and the fear that it might not be realized.
“Eyre,” returned Miss Seldon. “But why do you ask? Oh, what is it?” for every face at the table had brightened visibly, and there was an exchange of rejoicing, exulting, excited glances.
“I think they must have been our grandparents,” said Ethel, scarcely able to speak from emotion, “mamma’s father and mother, whom we have never been able to find because we did not know their address. Oh, how glad—how glad I am!” and she wept for joy and thankfulness.
Harry and the others were scarcely less excited; they could talk of nothing else while together at the table, but soon after leaving it, Ethel, taking Miss Seldon with her, accompanied by Harry as escort, set out for her old home to inform her uncles of the discovery just made, and ask their advice in regard to the best way of opening communication with her grandparents.
“This is good news, Ethel—at least I hope it will prove so,” said her Uncle George when the story had been told; “but I am extremely doubtful if your grandparents are still living; for in that case they would surely have been hunting up their daughter’s children. But we must set on foot such enquiries as will remove all doubt, and in case of their death recover for you and your brother and sisters any property they may have left.”
At that Ethel’s eyes filled. “I want my dear grandparents a great deal more than I do their property,” she said.
“I have no doubt of that, Ethel,” said her Uncle Albert, “but in case of their death the property will be yours by right, and not to be despised; and they of course would have wished it to fall to their daughter’s children rather than to anyone else.”
“I should think so; yes, I am quite sure of it,” she said, adding with a smile, “and it will be a great help to us all in getting a start in the world.”