laugh, and, as she fancied, growing still paler. "Do you suppose I am a highwayman in disguise, or a murderer, like what's his name-Eugene Aram. I must have expressed myself very ill, if I suggested anything so tragical. I protest before heaven, my darling, there is not one word or act of mine I need fear to submit to any court of justice or of honour on earth."

He took her hand, and kissed it affectionately, and still fondling it gently between his, he resumed

"I don't mean to say, of course, that I have always been better than other young fellows; I've been foolish, and wild, and-and-I've done wrong things, occasionally-as all young men will; but for high crimes and misdemeanors, or for melodramatic situations, I never had the slightest taste. There's no man on earth who can tell anything of me, or put me under any sort of pressure, thank heaven; and simply because I have never in the course of my life done a single act unworthy of a gentleman, or in the most trifling way compromised myself. I swear it, my darling, upon my honour and soul, and I will swear it in any terms-the most awful that can be prescribed-in order totally and for ever to remove from your mind so amazing a fancy.'

And with a little laugh, and still holding her hand, he passed his arm round her waist, and kissed her affectionately.

"But you are perfectly right, Dorkie, in supposing that I am under very considerable apprehension from their machinations. Though they cannot slur our fair fame, it is quite possible they may very seriously affect our property. Mr. Larkin is in possession of all the family papers. I don't like it, but it is too late now. The estates have been back and forward so often between the Brandons and Wylders, I always fancy there may be a screw loose, or a frangible link somewhere, and he's deeply interested for Mark Wylder."

"You are better, darling; I think you are better," he said, looking in her face, after a little pause.

"Yes, dear Stanley, much better; but why should you suppose any plot against our title?"

"Mark Wylder is in constant correspondence with that fellow Larkin.

I wish we were quietly rid of him, he is such an unscrupulous dog. assure you, I doubt very much if the deeds are safe in his possession; at all events, he ought to choose between us and Mark Wylder. It is monstrous his being solicitor for both. The Wylders and Brandons have always been contesting the right to these estates, and the same thing may arise again any day."

But tell me, Stanley, how do you want to apply money? What particular good can it do us in this unpleasant uncertainty?"

"Well, Dorkie, believe me, I have a sure instinct in matters of this kind. Larkin is preparing treason against us. Wylder is inciting him, and will reap the benefit of it. Larkin hesitates to strike, but that won't last long. In the meantime, he has made a distinct offer to buy Five Oaks. His doing so places him in the same boat with us; and, although he does not offer its full value, still I should sleep sounder if it were concluded; and the fact is, I don't think we are safe until that sale is concluded."

1

Dorcas looked for a moment earnestly in his face, and then down, in thought.

"Now, Dorkie, I have told you all. Who is to advise you, if not your husband? Trust my sure conviction, and promise me, Dorcas, that you will not hesitate to join me in averting, by a sacrifice we shall hardly feel, a really stupendous blow."

He kissed her hand, and then her lips, and he said

"You will, Dorkie, I know you will. Give me your promise."

"Stanley, tell me once more, are you really quite frank when you tell me that you apprehend no personal injury from these people apart, I mean, from the possibility of Mr. Larkin's conspiring to impeach our rights in favour of Mr. Wylder ?"

"Personal injury? None in life, my darling."

"And there is really no secretnothing-tell your wife-nothing you fear coming to light?"

"I swear again, nothing. Won't you believe me, darling?"

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Then, if it be so, Stanley, I think we should hesitate long before selling any part of the estate upon a mere conjecture of danger. You or I

may over-estimate that danger, being so nearly affected by it. We must take advice; and first, we must consult Chelford. Remember, Stanley, how long the estate has been preserved. Whatever may have been their crimes and follies, those who have gone before us never impaired the Brandon estate; and, without full consideration, without urgent cause, I, Stanley, will not begin.'

"Why, it is only Five Oaks, and we shall have the money, you forsaid Stanley." get, Five Daks is an estate in itself; and the idea of dismembering the Brandon inheritance seems to me like taking a plank from a ship-all will go down when that is done."

"But you can't dismember it; it is only a life estate."

"Well, perhaps so; but Chelford told me that one of the London people said he thought Five Oaks belonged to me absolutely."

"In that case the inheritance is dismembered already."

"I will have no share in selling the old estate, or any part of it, to strangers, Stanley, except in a case of necessity; and we must do nothing precipitately; and I must insist, Stanley, on consulting Chelford before taking any step. He will view the question more calmly than you or I can; and we owe him that respect, Stanley, he has been so very kind to us."

"Chelford is the very last man whom I would think of consulting,' answered Stanley, with his malign and peevish look.

"And why?" asked Dorcas. "Because he is quite sure to advise against it," answered Stanley, sharply. He is one of those Quixotic fellows who get on very well in fair weather, while living with a duke or duchess, but are sure to run you into mischief when they come to the inns and highways of common life. I know perfectly, he would protest against a compromise. Discharge Larkin — fight him—and see us valiantly stript of our property by some cursed lawquibble; and think we ought to be much more comfortable so, than in this house, on the terms of a compromise with a traitor like Larkin. But I don't think so, nor any man of sense, nor anyone but a hair-brained, conceited, knight-errant."

Stanley's eyes were cast downand he was nipping the straggling hairs of his light moustache between his lips-but he made no answer. Only suddenly he looked up, and said quietly,

Very well. Good-bye for a little, Dorkie, and he leaned over her and kissed her cheek, and then passed into the hall, where he took his hat and cane.

Larcom presented him with a note, in a sealed envelope. As he took it from the salver he recognised Larkin's very clear and large hand. I suspect that grave Mr. Larcom had been making his observations and conjectures thereupon.

The Captain took it with a little nod, and a peevish side-glance. It said

"MY DEAR CAPTAIN BRANDON to London by the early train to-morLAKE, Imperative business calls me

row.

Will you therefore favour me, if convenient, by the bearer, with the small note of consent, which must accompany the articles agreeing to

sell.

"I remain, &c., &c., &c."

Larkin's groom was waiting for an

answer.

"Tell him I shall probably see Mr. Larkin myself," said the Captain, snappishly; and so he walked down to pretty little Gylingden.

On the steps of the reading-room stood old Tom Ruddle, who acted as marker in the billiard-room, treasurer, and book-keeper beside, and swept out the premises every morning, and went to and fro at the proper hours, between that literary and sporting institution and the Post-office; and who, though seldom sober, was always well instructed in the news of the town.

"How do you do, old Ruddle— quite well?" asked the Captain, with a smile. "Who have you got in the rooms?"

Well, Jos Larkin was not there. Indeed he seldom showed in those premises, which he considered de

cidedly low. Dropping in only now and then, like the great country gentlemen, on sessions days, to glance at the papers, and gossip on their own high affairs.

But Ruddle had seen Mr. Jos Larkin on the green, not five minutes since, and thither the gallant Captain bent his steps.

"So you are going to London-tomorrow, is not it?" said Captain Lake, when on the green of Gylingden, where visitors were promenading, and the militia band playing lusty polkas, he met Mr. Jos Larkins, in lavender trousers and kid gloves, new hat, metropolitan black frock-coat, and shining French boots-the most elegant as well as the most Christian of provincial attorneys.

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Ah, yes—I think—should my engagements permit-of starting early to-morrow. The fact is, Captain Lake, our poor friend the Vicar, you know, the Reverend William Wylder, has pressing occasion for some money, and I can't leave him absolutely in the hands of Burlington and Smith." No, of course- -quite so," ," said Lake, with that sly smile which made every fellow on whom it lighted, somehow fancy that the Captain had divined his secret. "Very honest fellows, with good looking aftereh ?"

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The Attorney laughed, a little awkwardly, with his pretty pink blush over his long face.

"Well, I'm far from saying that, but it is their business, you know, to take care of their client; and it would not do to give them the handling of mine. Can I do anything, Captain Lake, for you while in town?"

"Nothing on earth, thank you very much. But I am thinking of doing something for you. You've interested yourself a great deal about Mark Wylder's movements."

Not more than my duty clearly imposed."

"Yes; but notwithstanding it will operate, I'm afraid, as you will presently see, rather to his prejudice, for to prevent your conjectural interference from doing him a more serious mischief, I will now, and here, if you please, divulge the true and only cause of his absconding. It is fair to mention, however, that your knowing it, will make you fully as odious to

Quite the contrary-a very lawless matter, indeed. These four gentlemen, beside myself, were present at the occurrence. But perhaps you've heard of it?" said the Captain, "though that's not likely."

"Not that I recollect, Captain Lake," answered Jos Larkin.

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Well, it is not a thing you'd forget easily-and indeed it was a very well kept secret, as well as an ugly one," and Lake smiled, in his sly quizzical way.

"And where, Captain Lake, did it occur, may I inquire?" said Larkin, with his charming insinuation.

"You may, and you shall hear-in fact I'll tell you the whole thing. It was at Gray's Club in Pall-Mall. The whist party were old Jermyn, Carter, Vanbrugh, and Wylder. Clinton and I, were at piquet, and were disturbed by a precious row the old boys kicked up. Jermyn and Carter were charging Mark Wylder, in so many words, with not playing fairly

there was an ace of hearts on the table played by him, and before three minutes they brought it home-and in fact it was quite clear that poor dear Mark had helped himself to it in quite an irregular way."

66

'Oh, dear, Captain Lake, oh, dear, how shocking-how inexpressibly shocking! Is not it melancholy? said Larkin, in his finest and most pathetic horror.

66

'Yes; but don't cry, till I've done," said Lake, tranquilly. 'Mark tried to bully, but the cool, old heads were too much for him, and he threw himself at last entirely on our mercy

and very abject he became, poor thing."

"How well the mountains look! I am afraid we shall have rain to-morrow."

Larkin uttered a short groan. "So they sent him into the small card-room, next that we were playing in. I think we were about the last in the club-it was past three o'clock --and so the old boys deliberated on their sentence. To bring the matter before the Committee were utter ruin to Mark, and they let him off, on these conditions-he was to retire forthwith from the Club; he was never to play any game of cards again; and, lastly, he was never more to address any one of the gentlemen who were present at his detection. Poor, dear devil!-how he did jump at the conditions!-and provided they were each and all strictly observed, it was intimated that the occurrence should be kept secret. Well, you know, that was letting poor, dear Mark off in a coach; and I do assure you, though we had never liked one another, I really was very glad they did not move his expulsion -which would have involved his quitting the service-and I positively don't know how he could have lived if that had occurred."

"I do solemnly assure you, Captain Lake, what you have told me has beyond expression amazed, and I will say, horrified me," said the Attorney, with a slow and melancholy vehemence. "Better men might have suspected something of it-I do solemnly pledge my honour that nothing of the kind so much as crossed my mind-not naturally suspicious, I believe, but all the more shocked, Captain Lake, on that account."

"He was poor then, you see, and a few pounds were everything to him, and the temptation immense; but clumsy fellows ought not to try that sort of thing. There's the highwayMark would have made a capital garrotter."

"I've no wish to injure Mark; but it is better that you should know at once, than go about poking every where for information.'

"I do assure you"

"And having really no wish to hurt him," pursued the Captain, "and also making it, as I do, a point that you shall repeat this conversation to no one, I don't choose to appear singular, as your sole informant, and I've given you here a line to Sir James Carterhe's member, you know, for Huddlesbury. I mention, that Mark, having broken his promise, and played for heavy stakes, too, both on board his ship, and at Plymouth and Naples, which I happen to know; and also by accosting me, whom, as one of the gentlemen agreeing to impose these conditions, he was never to address, I felt myself at liberty to mention it to you, holding the relation you do to me as well as to him, in consequence of the desirableness of placing you in possession of the true cause of his absconding, which was simply my telling him that I would not permit him, slurred as he was, to marry a lady who was totally ignorant of his actual position; and, in fact, that unless he withdrew, I must acquaint the young lady's guardian of the circumstances."

There was quite enough probability in this story to warrant Jos Larkin in turning up his eyes and groaning, But in the intervals, his shrewd eyes searched the face of the Captain, not knowing whether to believe one syllable of what he related.

I may as well mention here, that the Attorney did present the note to Sir J. Carter, with which Captain Lake had furnished him; indeed, he never lost an opportunity of making the acquaintance of a person of rank; and that the worthy baronet, so appealed to, and being a blunt sort of fellow, and an old acquaintance of Stanley's, did, in a short and testy sort of way, corroborate Captain Lake's story, having previously conditioned that he was not to be referred to as the authority from whom Mr. Larkin had learned it.

The Attorney and Captain Brandon Lake were now walking side by side, over the more sequestered part of the green.

"And, so," said the Captain, coming to a stand still, "I'll bid you good

"Oh, dear, no. I calculate I'll be here again, certainly, in three days' time. And, I suppose, Captain Lake, you received my note ?"

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You mean just now? Oh! yes; of course it is all right; but one day is as good as another; and you have got my agreement signed."

"Pardon me, Captain Brandon Lake; the fact is, one day, in this case, does not answer as well as another, for I must have drafts of the deeds prepared by my conveyancer in town, and the note is indispensable. Perhaps if there is any difficulty, you will be so good as to say so, and I shall then be in a position to consider the case in its new aspect."

"What the devil difficulty can there be, sir? I can't see it, any more than what hurry can possibly exist about it," said Lake, stung with a momentary fury. It seemed as though every one was conspiring to perplex and torment him; and he, like the poor Vicar, though for very different reasons, had grown intensely anxious to sell. He had grown to dread the Attorney, since the arrival of Dutton's letter. He suspected that his journey to London had for its object a meeting with that person. He could not tell what might be going on in the dark. But the possibility of such a conjunction might well dismay him.

On the other hand, the more Mr. Larkin relied upon the truth of Dutton's letter, the cooler he became respecting the purchase of Five Oaks. It was, of course, a very good thing; but not his first object. The Vicar's reversion in that case was everything, and of it he was now sure.

"There is no difficulty about the note, sir; it contains but four lines, and I've given you the form. No difficulty can exist but in the one quarter; and the fact is," he added, steadily, "unless I have that note before I leave to-morrow morning, I'll assume that you wish to be off, Captain Lake, and I will adapt myself to circumstances." "You may have it now," said the Captain, with a fierce carelessness. "D-d nonsense! Who could have fancied any such stupid hurry? Send in the morning, and you shall

savagely turned away, skirting the crowd who hovered about the band, in his leisurely and now solitary ramble.

The Captain was sullen that evening at home. He was very uncomfortable. His heart was failing him for the things that were coming to pass. One of his maniacal tempers, which had often before thrown him, as it were, "off the rails," was at the bottom of his immediate troubles. This

proneness to sudden accessions of violence and fury, was the compensation which abated the effect of his ordinary craft and self-command.

He had done all he could to obviate the consequences of his folly in this case. He hoped the Attorney might not succeed in discovering Jim Dutton's whereabouts. At all events, he had been beforehand, and taken measures to quiet that person's dangerous resentment. But it was momentous in the critical state of things to give this dangerous Attorney a handsome share in his stake- -to place him, as he had himself said, "in the same boat," and enlist all his unscrupulous astuteness in maintaining his title; and if he went to London disappointed, and that things turned out unluckily about Dutton, it might be a very awful business, indeed.

Dinner had been a very dull tetea-tete. Dorcas sat stately and sadlooking from the window toward the distant sunset horizon, piled in dusky gold and crimson clouds, against the faded, green sky-a glory that is always melancholy and dreamy. Stanley sipped his claret, his eyes upon the cloth. He raised them, and looked out, too; and the ruddy light tinted his pale features.

A gleam of good humour seemed to come with it, and he said

"I was just thinking, Dorkie, that for you and me, alone, these great rooms are a little dreary. Suppose we have tea in the tapestry room."

"The Dutch room, Stanley-I think so-I should like it very well. So, I am certain would Rachel. I've written to her to come. I hope she will. I expect her at nine. The brougham will be with her. She wrote such an odd note to-day, addressed to you; but I opened it. Here it is."

She did not watch his countenance, or look in his direction, as he read it.