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"No, Dorcas, I won't go in."

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'But, Rachel, you are tired; you must come in with me, and drink tea, and then you can go home in the brougham," said Dorcas, more kindly. "No, Dorcas, no; I will not drink tea nor go in; but I am tired, and as you are so kind, I will accept your offer of the carriage."

Larcom had, that moment, appeared in the vestibule, and received the order.

"I'll sit in the porch, if you will allow me, Dorcas; you must not lose your little walk."

Then you won't come into the house, you won't drink tea with me, and you won't join me in my little walk; and why not any of these?"

Dorcas smiled coldly, and continued, "Well, I shall hear the carriage coming to the door, and I'll return and bid you good night. It is plain, Rachel, you do not like my company."

"True, Dorcas, I do not like your company. You are unjust; you have no confidence in me; you prejudge me without proof; and you have quite ceased to love me. Why should I like your company?"

Dorcas smiled a proud and rather sad smile at this sudden change from the conventional to the passionate; and the direct and fiery charge of her

kinswoman was unanswered.

She stood meditating for a minute. "You think I no longer love you, Rachel, as I did. Perhaps young ladies' friendships are never very enduring; but, if it be so, the fault is not mine."

"No, Dorcas, the fault is not yours, nor mine. The fault is neither

VOL. LXIII.-NO. CCCLXXIII.

in you nor in me, but in circumstances. The time is coming, Dorcas, when you will know all, and, maybe, judge me mercifully. In the mean time, Dorcas, you cannot like my company, because you do not like me; and I do not like yours, just because, in spite of all, I love you still; and in yours I only see the image of a lost friend. You may be restored to me soon-maybe never-but till then, I have lost you."

"Well," said Dorcas, "it may be there is a wild kind of truth in what you say, Rachel, and no matter— time, as you say, and light-I don't understand you, Rachel; but there is this in you that resembles me-we both hate hypocrisy, and we are both, in our own ways, proud. I'll come back, when I hear the carriage, and see you for a moment, as you won't stay, or come with me, and bid you good-bye."

So Dorcas went her way; and alone, on the terrace, looking over the stone balustrade-over the rich and sombre landscape, dim and vaporous in the twilight--she still saw the pale face of Rachel-paler than she liked to see it. Was she ill-and she thought how lonely she would be if Rachel were to die-how lonely she was now. There was a sting of compunction-a yearning-and then started a few bitter and solitary tears.

In one of the great stone vases, that are ranged along the terrace, there flourished a beautiful and rare rose. I forget its name. Some of my readers will remember. It is first to bloomfirst to wither. Its fragrant petals were now strewn upon the terrace underneath. One blossom only remained untarnished, and Dorcas plucked it, and with it in her fingers, she returned to the porch where Rachel remained.

"You see, I have come back a little before my time," said Dorcas. "I have just been looking at the plant you used to admire so much, and the leaves are shed already, and it reminded me of our friendship, Radie; but I am sure you are right; it will all bloom again, after the winter, you know, and I thought I would come back, and say that, and give you this relic of the bloom that is gone-the last token," and she kissed Rachel, as she placed it in her fingers, a token of remembrance and of hope."

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"I will keep it, Dorkie. It was kind of you," and their eyes met regretfully. "And--and, I think, I do trust you, Radie," said the heiress of Brandon; "and I hope you will try to like me on till-till spring comes, you know. And, I wish," she sighed softly, "I wish we were as we used to be. I am not very happy; and-here's the carriage."

And it drew up close to the steps, and Rachel entered; and her little handmaid got up in the seat behind; and Dorcas and Rachel kissed their hands, and smiled, and away the carriage glided; and Dorcas, standing on the steps, looked after it very sadly. And when it disappeared, she sighed again heavily, still looking in its track; and I think she said “Darling!"

CHAPTER LXIV.

RACHEL LAKE BEFORE THE ACCUSER.

TWILIGHT was darker in Redman's Dell than anywhere else. But dark as it was, there was still light enough to enable Rachel, as she hurried across the little garden, on her return from Brandon, to see a long white face, and some dim outline of the figure to which it belonged, looking out upon her from the window of her little drawing-room.

But no, it could not be; who was there to call at so odd an hour? She must have left something a bag, or a white basket upon the window-sash. She was almost startled, however, as she approached the porch, to see it nod, and a hand dimly waved in token of greeting.

Tamar was in the kitchen. Could it be Stanley? But faint as the outline was she saw, she fancied that it was not he. She felt a sort of alarm, in which there was some little mixture of the superstitious, and she pushed open the door, not entering the room, but staring in toward the window, where against the dim, external light, she clearly saw, without recognising it, a tall figure, greeting her with mop and moe.

"Who is that?" cried Miss Lake, a little sharply.

"It is I, Miss Lake, Mr. Josiah Larkin, of The Lodge," said that gentleman, with what he meant to be an air of dignified firmness, and looking very like a tall constable in possession; "I have taken the liberty of presenting myself, although, I fear, at a somewhat unreasonable hour, but in reference to a little business, which, unfortunately, will not, I think, bear to be deferred."

"No bad news, Mr. Larkin, I hope -nothing has happened. The Wylders are all well, I hope ?"

"Quite well, so far as I am aware," answered the Attorney, with a grim politeness; "perfectly; nothing has occurred, as yet at least, affecting the interests of that family; but something is-I will not say, threatened— but I may say, mooted, which, were any attempt seriously made to carry it into execution, would, I regret to say, involve very serious consequences to a party whom, for, I may say, many reasons, I should regret being called upon to affect unpleasantly.' "And pray, Mr. Larkin, can I be of any use?"

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"Every use, Miss Lake, and it is precisely for that reason that I have taken the liberty of waiting upon you, at what, I am well aware, is a somewhat unusual hour."

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Perhaps, Mr. Larkin, you would be so good as to call in the morningany hour you appoint will answer me,' said the young lady, a little stiffly. She was still standing at the door, with her hand upon the brass handle.

"Pardon me, Miss Lake, the business to which I refer, is really urgent." Very urgent, sir, if it cannot wait till to-morrow morning."

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'Very true, quite true, very urgent indeed," replied the Attorney, calmly; "I presume, Miss Lake, I may take a chair?"

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'Certainly, sir, if you insist on my listening to-night, which I should certainly decline if I had the power."

"Thank you, Miss Lake." And the Attorney took a chair, crossing one long leg over the other, and throwing his head back, as he reclined in it with his long arm over the back--the

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express image," as he fancied, of a polished gentleman, conducting a diplomatic interview with a clever and high-bred lady.

"Then it is plain, sir, I must hear you to-night," said Miss Lake, haughtily.

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Not that, exactly, Miss Lake, but only that I must speak to-night-in fact, I have no choice. The subject of our conference really is, as you will find, an urgent one, and to-morrow morning, which we should each equally prefer, would be possibly too latetoo late, at least, to obviate a very painful situation."

"You will make it, I am sure, as short as you can, sir," said the young lady, in the same tone.

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Exactly my wish, Miss Lake," replied Mr. Jos Larkin.

Bring candles, Margery." And so the little drawing-room was illuminated; and the bald head of the tall Attorney, and the gloss on his easy, black frock-coat, and his gold watch-chain, and the long and large gloved hand, depending near the carpet, with the glove of the other in it. And Mr. Jos Larkin rose with a negligent and lordly ease, and placed a chair for Miss Lake, so that the light might fall full upon her features, in accordance with his usual diplomatic arrangement, which he fancied, complacently, no one had ever detected; he himself resuming his easy pose upon his chair, with his back, as much as was practicable, presented to the candles. And the long, bony fingers of the arm which rested on the table, negligently shading his observing little eyes, and screening off the side light from his expressive features.

These arrangements, however, were disconcerted by Miss Lake's sitting down at the other side of the table, and quietly requesting Mr. Larkin to open his case..

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Why, really, it is hardly a five minutes' matter, Miss Lake; it refers to the Vicar, the Rev. William Wylder, and his respectable family, and a proposition which he, as my client, mentioned to me this evening. He stated that you had offered to advance a sum of £600, for the liquidation of his liabilities. It will, perhaps, conduce to clearness to dispose of this part of the matter first. May I therefore ask, at this stage, whether the Rev. William Wylder rightly con ceived you, when he so stated your meaning to me?"

"Yes, certainly, I am most anxious to assist them with that little sum,

which I have now an opportunity of procuring."

"A-exactly-yes-well, Miss Lake, that is, of course, very kind of youvery kind, indeed, and creditable to your feelings; but, as Mr. William Wylder's solicitor, and as I have already demonstrated to him, I must now inform you, that the sum of six hundred pounds would be absolutely useless in his position. No party, Miss Lake, in his position, ever quite apprehends, even if he could bring himself fully to state, the aggregate amount of his liabilities. I may state, however, to you, without betraying confidence, that ten times that sum would not avail to extricate him, even temporarily, from his difficulties. He sees the thing himself, now; but drowning men will grasp, we know, at straws. However, he does see the futility of this; and, thanking you most earnestly, he, through me, begs most gratefully to decline it. In fact, my dear Miss Lake-it is awful to contemplate-he has been in the hands of Sharks, Harpies, my dear madam; but I'll beat about for the money, in the way of loan, if possible, and, one way or another, I am resolved, if the thing's to be done, to get him straight.”

There was here a little pause, and Mr. Larkin, finding that Miss Lake had nothing to say, simply added—

"And so, for these reasons, and with these views, my dear Miss Lake, we beg, most respectfully, and I will say gratefully, to decline the proffered advance, which, I will say, at the same time, does honour to your feelings."

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I am sorry," said Miss Lake, "you have had so much trouble in explaining so simple a matter. I will call early to-morrow, and see Mr. Wylder."

"Pardon me," said the Attorney, "I have to address myself next to the second portion of your offer, as stated to me by Mr. W. Wylder, that which contemplates a residence in his house, and in the respectable bosom, I may say, of that, in many respects, unblemished family."

Miss Lake stared with a look of fierce inquiry at the Attorney.

"The fact is, Miss Lake, that that is an arrangement which under existing circumstances I could not think of advising. I think, on reflection, you will see, that Mr. Wylder-the Reverend William Wylder and his

Lady-could not for one moment seriously entertain it, and that I, who am bound to do the best I can for them, could not dream of advising it." "I fancy it is a matter of total indifference, sir, what you may and what you may not advise in a matter quite beyond your province-I don't in the least, understand, or desire to understand you-and thinking your manner impertinent and offensive, I beg that you will now be so good as to leave my house.'

Miss Rachel was very angryalthough nothing but her bright colour and the vexed flash of her eye showed

it.

"I were most unfortunate-most unfortunate indeed, Miss Lake, if my manner could in the least justify the strong and undue language in which you have been pleased to characterize it. But I do not resent-it is not my way-beareth all things,' Miss Lake, 'beareth all things'-I hope I try to practise the precept; but the fact of being misunderstood, shall not deter me from the discharge of a simple duty."

"If it is part of your duty, sir, to make yourself intelligible, may I beg that you will do it without further delay."

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Miss Lake, I should take you at your word. I don't-I wish to spare you. Your countenance, Miss Lake-you must pardon my frankness, it is my way your countenance tells only too plainly, that you now comprehend my allusion."

There was a confidence and significance in the Attorney's air and accent, and a peculiar look of latent ferocity in his evil countenance, which gradually excited her fears, and fascinated her gaze.

"Now, Miss Lake, we are sitting here in the presence of Him who is the searcher of hearts, and before whom nothing is secret-your eye is upon mine and mine on yours-and I ask you do you remember the night of the 29th of September last?"

That mean, pale, taunting face! the dreadful accents that vibrated within her! How could that ill-omened man have divined her connexion with the incidents-the unknown incidents-of that direful night? The lean figure in the black frock-coat, and black silk waistcoat, with that great gleaming watch-chain, the long, shabby, withered face, and flushed, bald forehead; and those paltry little eyes, in their pink setting, that nevertheless fascinated her like the gaze of 'My principal object in calling here a serpent. How had that horrible was to inform you, Miss Lake, that figure come there-why was this you must quite abandon the idea of meeting-whence his knowledge? residing in the Vicar's house, as you An evil spirit incarnate he seemed to proposed, unless you wish me to her. She blanched before it-every state explicitly to him and to Mrs. vestige of colour fled from her features Wylder the insurmountable objec--she stared-she gaped at him with tions which exist to any such ar- a strange look of imbecility-and the rangement. Such a task, Miss Lake, long face seemed to enjoy and prowould be most painful to me. I hesi- tract its triumph. tate to discuss the question even with you; and if you give me your word of honour that you quite abandon that idea, I shall, on the instant take my leave, and certainly, for the present, trouble you no further upon a most painful subject."

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And now, sir, as I have no intention whatever of tolerating your incomprehensibly impertinent interference, and don't understand your meaning in the slightest degree, and do not intend to withdraw the offer I have made to good Mrs. Wylder, you will I hope perceive the uselessness of prolonging your visit, and be so good as to leave me in unmolested possession of my poor residence."

"If I wished to do you an injury,

Without removing his gaze he was fumbling in his pocket for his notebook, which he displayed with a faint smile, grim and palid.

"I see you do remember that night -as well you may, Miss Lake," he ejaculated, in formidable tones, and with a shake of his bald head.

"Now, Miss Lake, you see this book. It contains, madam, the skeleton of a case. The bones and joints, ma'am, of a case. I have it here, noted and prepared. There is not a fact in it without a note of the name and address of the witness who can prove it-the witness-observe me.' ""

Then there was a pause of a few seconds, during which he still kept her under his steady gaze.

"On that night, Miss Lake, the 29th September, you drove in Mr. Mark Wylder's tax-cart to the Dollington Station, where, notwithstanding your veil, and your caution, you were seen and recognised. The same occurred at Charteris. You accompanied Mr. Mark Wylder in his midnight flight to London, Miss Lake. Of your stay in London I say nothing. It was protracted to the 2nd October, when you arrived in the down train at Dollington at twelve o'clock at night, and took a cab to the White House, where you were met by a gentleman answering the description of your brother Captain Lake. Now, Miss Lake, I have stated no particulars; but do you think that knowing all this, and knowing the fraud by which your absence was covered, and perfectly understanding, as every man conversant with this sinful world must do, the full significance of all this, I could dream of permitting you, Miss Lake, to become domesticated as an inmate in the family of a pureminded, though simple and unfortunate clergyman?"

"It may become my duty to prosecute a searching inquiry, madam, into the circumstances of Mr. Mark Wylder's disappearance. If you have the slightest regard for your own honour, you will not precipitate that measure, Miss Lake; and so sure as you persist in your unwarrantable designs of residing in that unsuspecting family, I will publish what I shall then feel called upon by my position to make known; for I will be no party to seeing an innocent family compromised by admitting an inmate of whose real character they have not the faintest suspicion, and I shall at once set in motion a public inquiry into the circumstances of Mr. Mark Wylder's disappearance."

Looking straight in his face, with the same expression of helplessness, she uttered at last a horrible cry of anguish that almost thrilled that callous Christian.

"I think I'm going mad!" And she continued staring at him all the time.

"Pray, compose yourself, Miss Lake -there's no need to agitate yourself -nothing of all this need occur if you do not force it upon me-nothing-I beg you'll collect yourself-shall I call for water, Miss Lake?"

The fact is the Attorney began to apprehend an attack of hysterics, or something even worse, and was himself rather frightened. But Rachel was never long overwhelmed by any shock-fear was not for her-her brave spirit stood her in stead; and nothing rallied her so surely as the sense that an attempt was being made to bully her.

"What have I heard-what have I endured? Listen to me, you cowardly libeller. It is true that I was at Dollington, and at Charteris, on the night you name. Also true that I went to London-your hideous slander is garnished with two or three bits of truth-but only the more villanous for that. All that you have dared to insinuate is utterly false. Before Him who judges all, and knows all things utterly and damnably false !"

The Attorney made a bow-it was his best-he did not imitate a gentleman happily, and was never so vulgar as when he was finest.

One word of her wild protest he did not believe. His bow was of that grave but mocking sort which was meant to convey it. Perhaps if he had accepted what she said it might have led him to new and sounder conclusions. Here was light, but it glared and flashed in vain for him.

Miss Lake was naturally perfectly frank. Pity it was she had ever had a secret to keep! These frank people are a sore puzzle to gentlemen of Lawyer Larkin's quaint and sagacious turn of mind. They can't believe that anybody ever speaks quite the truth, when they hear it-they don't recognise it, and they wonder what the speaker is driving at. The best method of hiding your opinion or your motives from such men, is to tell it to them. They are owls. Their vision is formed for darkness, and light blinds them.

Rachel Lake rung her bell sharply, and old Tamar appeared. Show Mr.

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Mr. -; show him to the door," said Miss Lake.

The Attorney rose, made another bow, and threw back his head, and moved in a way that was oppressively gentlemanlike to the door, and speedily vanished at the little wicket. Old Tamar holding her candle to lighten his path, as she stood, white and cadaverous, in the porch.

"She's a little bit noisy to-night,"

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