We loved each other so dearly, - I felt so fondly employ myself - in doing what my conscience tells that I was her son. She died, Mrs. Goldstraw, in me ought to be done. I must speak to my lawyer; my arms, – she died blessing me as only a mother I must set my lawyer at work before I sleep tocould have blessed me. And now, after all these night." He approached a tube in the wall of the years, to be told she was not my mother! O me, room, and called down through it to the office beO me! I don't know what I am saying!” he cried, low. « Leave me for a little, Mrs. Goldstraw," he as the impulse of self-control under which he had resumed; “I shall be more composed, I shall be spoken a moment since flickered and died out. better able to speak to you, later in the day. We “It was not this dreadful grief - it was something shall get on well — I hope we shall get on well toelse, that I had it in my mind to speak of. Yes, yes. gether — in spite of what has happened. It is n't You surprised me - you wounded me just now. your fault; I know it is n't your fault. There ! You talked as if you would have hidden this from there ! shake hands; and — and do the best you me, if you could. Don't talk in that way again. can in the house - I can't talk about it now." It would have been a crime to have hidden it. You The door opened as Mrs. Goldstraw advanced mean well, I know. I don't want to distress you towards it; and Mr. Jarvis appeared. you are a kind-hearted woman. But you don't « Send for Mr. Bintrey," said the wine merchant. remember what my position is. She left me all that "Say I want to see him directly." I possess, in the firm persuasion that I was her son. The clerk unconsciously suspended the execution I am not her son. I have taken the place - I have of the order, by announcing î Mr. Vendale," and innocently got the inheritance of another man. He showing in the new partner in the firm of Wilding must be found ! How do I know he is not at this & Co. moment in misery, without bread to eat? He must “Pray excuse me for one moment, George Venbe found! My only hope of bearing up against the dale," said Wilding. “I have a word to say to shock that has fallen on me is the hope of doing some- Jarvis. Send for Mr. Bintrey," he repeated, thing which she would have approved. You must send at once.” know more, Mrs. Goldstraw, than you have told me Mr. Jarvis laid a letter on the table before he yet. Who was the stranger who adopted the child ? left the room. You must have heard the lady's name?”

“From our correspondents at Neuchâtel, I think, “I never heard it, sir. I have never seen ber, or sir. The letter has got the Swiss postmark." heard of her, since.”

“Did she say nothing when she took the child NEW CHARACTERS ON THE SCENE. away? Search your memory. She must have said THE words, “ The Swiss postmark," following so something."

soon upon the housekeeper's reference to Switzer" Qnly one thing, sir, that I can remember. It land, wrought Mr. Wilding's agitation to such a rewas a miserably bad season, that year; and many markable height, that his new partner could not of the children were suffering from it. When she decently make a pretence of letting it pass unnotook the baby away, the lady said to me, laughing, ticed.

Don't be alarmed about his health. He will be “Wilding,” he asked, hurriedly, and yet stopping brought up in a better climate than this, -I am short and glancing around as if for some visible going to take him to Switzerland.'”

cause of his state of mind, "what is the matter?” " To Switzerland ? What part of Switzerland ?” “My good George Vendale," returned the wine “ She didn't say, sir."

merchant, giving his hand with an appealing look, “ Only that faint clew !” said Mr. Wilding. rather as if he wanted help to get over some obsta“ And a quarter of a century has passed since the cle, than as if he gave it in welcome or salutation, child was taken away! What am I to do ?” “my good George Vendale, so much is the matter,

“I hope you won't take offence at my freedom, that I shall never be myself again. It is impossir," said Mrs. Goldstraw; “but why should you sible that I can ever be myself again. For, in fact, distress yourself about what is to be done? He I am not myself.” may not be alive now, for anything you know. And The new partner, a brown-cheeked, handsome felif he is alive, it's not likely he can be in any dis- low, of about his own age, with a quick determined tresy. The lady who adopted him was a bred and eye and an impulsive manner, retorted with natural born lady, - it was easy to see that. And she must astonishment, * Not yourself? " have satisfied them at the Foundling that she could “Not what I supposed myself to be," said Wilding. provide for the child, or they would never have let! “ What, in the name of wonder, did you suppose her take him away. If I was in your place, sir, - yourself to be that you are not ? ” was the rejoinder, please to excuse my saying so, - I should comfort delivered with a cheerful frankness, inviting confimyself with remembering that I had loved that poor dence from a more reticent man. “I may ask lady whose portrait you have got there, — truly without impertinence, now that we are partners." loved her as my mother, and that she had truly “There again!” cried Wilding, leaning back in loved me as her son. All she gave to you, she gave his chair, with a lost look at the other. “ Partners ! for the sake of that love. It never altered while I had no right to come into this business. It was she lived ; and it won't alter, I'm sure, as long as never meant for me. My mother never meant it you live. How can you have a better right, sir, to should be mine. I mean his mother meant it should keep what you have got than that ?"

be his, - if I mean anything, — or if I am anybody." Mr. Wilding's immovable honesty saw the fallacy “Come, come,” urged his partner, after a moin his housekeeper's point of view at a glance. ment's pause, and taking possession of him with that

" You don't understand me," he said. “It's be calm confidence which inspires a strong nature cause I loved her that I feel it a duty — a sacred when it honestly desires tr, aid a weak one. duty — to do justice to her son. If he is a living " Whatever has gone wrong has gone wrong man, I must find him: for my own sake, as well as through no fault of yours, I am very sure. I was for his. I shall break down under this dreadful not in this counting-house with you under the old trial, unless I employ myself — actively, instantly I régime, for three years, to doubt you, Wilding.

We were not younger men than we are, together, forced to believe, on her own showing, to be your for that. Let me begin our partnership by being a mother, consiiler whether that did not arise out serviceable partner, and setting right whatever is of the personal relations between you. You grada wrong. Ilas that letter anything to do with it?" ually became much attached to her; she grada

“Hab!” said Wilding, with his band to his tem- ually became much attached to you. It was on ple. “There again! My head! I was forgetting you, personally you, as I see the case, that she the coincidence. The Swiss postmark."

| conferred these worldly advantages ; it was from her, "At a second glance I see that the letter is un personally her, that you took them.” opened, so it is not very likely to have much to do." She supposed me," objected Wilding, shaking with the matter," said Vendale, with comforting bis headl, “to have a natural claim upon her. composure. “Is it for you, or for us ? "

which I had not." “For us," said Wilding.

“I must admit that," replied his partner, "to be “ Suppose I open it and read it aloud, to get it true. But if she had maile the discovery that you out of our way?"

have made, six months before she died, do you think “ Thank you, thank you."

it would have cancelled the years you were to“ The letter is only from our champagne-making gether, and the tenderness that each of you had confriends, the House at Neuchâtel. • Dear Sir. We ceived for the other, - each on increasing knowledge are in receipt of yours of the 28th ult., informing us of the other ? " that you bave taken your Mr. Venilale into part- “ What I think," said Wilding, simply but stoutly nership, whereon we beg you to receive the assur. holding to the barc fact, “can no more change the ance of our felicitations. Perinit us to embrace the truth than it can bring down the sky. The truth occasion of specially commending to you M. Jules is that I stand possessed of what was meant for anObenreizer.'' Impossible!"

other man." Wilding looked up in quick apprehension, and "lle may be dead," said Vendale. cried, “ Eh?”

“ Ile may be alive," said Wilding. “And if he " Jinpossible sort of name," returned his partner, is alive, have I not -- innocently, I grant you inno slightly, “ Obenreizer. i- Of specially com-cently - robbell him of enough? Have I not mending to you M. Jules Obenreizer, of Soho robbed him of all the happy time that I enjoyed in Square, Lonilon (north side), benceforth fully ac- his steail? Have I not robbed him of the exquicredited as our agent, and who has already haul the site delight that filled my soul when that dear laily," honor of making the acquaintance of your Mr Ven- stretching his hand towards the picture, "told me dale, in bis (said M. Obenreizer's) native country, she was my mother ? llave I not robbed bim of all Switzerlanıl,' - to be sure ; poob pooh; what have the care she lavished on me? Ilave I not even been thinking of! I remeniber now, when trav- robbed bim of all the devotion and duty that I 80 elling with his nicce.'

proudly gave to her ? Therefore it is that I ask " With his —?" Vendale had so slurred the last myself, George Vendale, and I ask you, where is word, that Willing had not heard it.

| he? What bas become of him?" * When travelling with his Niece. Obenreizer's “Who can tell !" Niece," said Vendale, in a somewhat superfluously “I must try to find out who can tell. I must inlucid manner. “Niece of Obenreizer. (I met stitute inquiries. I must never desist from prosethem in my first Swiss tour, travelled a little with cuting inquiries. I will live upon the interest of my them, and lost them for two years; met them again, share-I ought to say his share - in this busimy Swiss tour before last, and have lost them ever ness, and will lay up the rest for him. When I find since.) Obenreizer. Niece of Obenreizer. To be bim, I may perhaps throw myself upon his genesure! Possible sort of name, after all! M. Obenrosity; but I will yield up all to him. I will, I swear. reizer is in possession of our absolute confidence, and As I loved and honored her," said Wilding, reverwe do not doubt you will esteem bis merits.' Duly ently kissing bis hand towards the picture, and then signed by the Ilouse, Defresnier et Cie.' Very covering his eyes with it, — " as I loved and honored will. I undertake to see M. Obenreizer presently, her, and have a world of reasons to be grateful to anil clear him out of the way. That clears the her!" And so broke down again. Swiss postmark out of the way. So now, my dear Ilis partner rose from the chair be had occupiel, Willing, tell me what I can clear out of your way, and stooil beside him, with a band softly lail upon and I 'll find a way to clear it."

| his shoulder. “Walter, I knew you before to-lay More than ready and grateful to be thus taken to be an upright man, with a pure conscience and a charge of, ibe honest wine inerchant wrung his part-line beart. It is very fortunate for me that I have ner's banil, and, beginning his tale by patheti- the privilege to travel on in life so near to so trust. cally declaring hinself an Imposter, told it. worthy a man. I am thankful for it. Use me as

" It was on this matter, no doubt, that you were your right hand, and rely upon me to the death. sending for Bintrey when I came in?" said his part-Don't think the worse of me if I protest to you that ner, alter reflecting.

my uppermost feeling at present is a confusel, you "It was."

may call it an unreasonable, one. I feel far more * Llc has experience and a shrewil head; I shall be lity for the laıly and for you, because you did not anxious to know his opinion. It is bohl and hazarıl. stand in your supposed relations, than I can feel for pus in me to give y urine before I know his, but I the unknown man (if he ever became a man), heAm not good at ho dass back. Plainly, then, I do cause he was unconsciously displaced. You have not see these circum tances as you see them. To one well in sending for Mr.' Bintrey. What I not see your positio , as you see it. As to your think will be a part of his advice, I know is the whole being an Imposter, mv dear Willing, that is simply of mine. Do not move a step in this serious matter absurd, because no ma can be that without being a precipitatoly. The secret must be kept aniong to consenting party to an imposition. Clearly you with great strictness, for to part with it lightly woull noves were so. As to your enrichment by the lady be to invite frauıuent claims, to encourage a bost who believed you to be her son, and whom you were of knares, to let loose a flood of perjury and plotting. I have no more to say now, Walter, than to | “Ah, yes ! ” remind you that you sold me a share in your busi- “In connection with Wilding & Co.?” ness expressly to save yourself from more work " Ah, surely !” than your present health is fit for, and that I bought “ Is it not odd that I should come to you, in Lonit expressly to do work, and mean to do it.”

don here, as one of the Firm of Wilding & Co., to With these words, and a parting grip of his parto pay the Firm's respects?" ner's shoulder that gave them the best emphasis they “ Not at all! What did I always observe when could have had, George Vendale betook himself we were on the mountains ? We call them vast; presently to the counting-house, and presently after but the world is so little. So little is the world, wards to the address of M. Jules Obenreizer. that one cannot keep away from persons. There

As he turned into Soho Square, and directed his are so few persons in the world, that they consteps towards its north side, a deepened color shot tinually cross and re-cross. So very little is the across his sun-browned face, which Wilding, if he worlul, that one cannot get rid of a person. Not,” had been a better observer, or had been less occu-touching his elbows again, with an ingratiatory pied with his own trouble, might have noticed when smile, " that one would desire to get rid of you.” his partner read aloud a certain passage in their “ I hope not, M. Obenreizer." Swiss correspondent's letter, which he had not read “ Please call ine, in your country, Mr. I call so distinctly as the rest.

myself so, for I love your country. If I could be A curious colony of mountaineers has long been English ! But I am born. And you? Though enclosed within that small flat London district of descended from so fine a family, you have had the Soho. Swiss watchniakers, Swiss silver-chasers, conilescension to come into trade? Stop though. Swiss jewellers, Swiss importers of Swiss musical Wines? Is it trade, in England, or profession ? boxes and Swiss toys of various kinds, draw close Not fine art ? ” together there. Swiss professors of music, painting, “Mr. Obenreizer," returned Vendale, somewhat and languages; Swiss artificers in steady work; out of countenance, " I was but a silly young fellow, Swiss couriers, and other Swiss servants chronically just of age, when I first had the pleasure of travelout of place; industrious Swiss laundresses and ling with you, and when you and I, and Mademoiclear-starchers ; mysteriously existing Siviss of both selle your niece - who is well?” sexes; Swiss, creditable and Swiss discreditable;l “'Tbank you. Who is well." Swiss to be trusted by all means, and Swiss to be “ — Shared some slight glacier dangers together. trusted by no means; these diverse Swiss particles If, with a boy's vanity, I rather vaunted my family, are attracted to a centre in the district of Soho. I hope I did so as a kind of introduction of myself. Shabby Swiss eating-houses, coffee-houses, and It was very wcak, and in very bad taste ; but perlodging-houses, Swiss drinks and dishes, Swiss ser-haps you know our English proverb, • Live and vice for Sundays, and Swiss schools for week-days, learn.'" are all to be found there. Even the native-born “ You make too much of it," returned the Swiss. English taverns drive a sort of broken English" And what the devil! After all, yours was a fine trade; announcing in their windows Swiss wbiets and family.” drains, and sheltering in their bars Swiss skirmishes George Vendale's laugh betrayed a little vexation, of love and animosity on most nights in the year. as he rejoined : “ Well! I was strongly attached

When the new partner in Wilding & Co. rang to my parents, and when we first travelled together, thie bell of a door bearing the blunt inscription Mr. Obenreizer, I was in the first flush of coming OBENREIZER on a brass plate, - the inner door of a into what my father and mother left me. So I substantial house, whose ground story was devoted to hope it may have been, after all, more youthful the sale of Swiss clocks, — he passed at once into openness of speech and heart than boastfulness." domestic Switzerland. A white-tiled stove for " All openness of speech and heart! No boastwinter-time filled the fireplace of the room into fulness ! ” cried Obenreizer. "You tax yourself which he was shown; the room's bare floor was laid too heavily. You tax yourself, my faith ! as if you together in a neat pattern of several ordinary was your government taxing you! . Besides, it woods; the room had a prevalent air of surface bare- commented with me. I remember, that evening ness and much scrubbing; and the little square of in the boat upon the lake, floating among the reBowery carpet by the sofa, and the velvet chimney-Hections of the mountains and valleys, the crags board with its capacious clock and vases of artificial and pine woods, which were my earliest rememflowers, contended with that tone, as if, in bringing brance, I drew a wordl-picture of my sordid childout the whole effect, a Parisian had adapted a bood. Of our poor hut, by the waterfall which my dairy to domestic purposes.

mother showed to travellers ; of the cow-shed where Mimic water was dropping off a mill-wheel under I slept with the cow ; of my idiot balf-brother althe clock. The visitor bad not stooil before it, fol. ways sitting at the door, or limping down the Pass lowing it with his eyes, a minute, when M. Oben- to beg; of my balf-sister always spinning, and restreizer, at his elbow, startled him by saying, in very ing her enormous goitre on a great stone; of my good English, .very slightly clipped : " How do you being a famished naked little wretch of two or do? So glad!”

three years, when they were men and women with * I beg your pardon. I did n't hear you come in." | hard hands to beat me, I, the only child of my fa** Not at all! Sit, please."

ther's second marriage, – if it even was a marriage. Releasing bis visitor's two arms, which he had What more natural than for you to compare notes lightly pinioned at the elbows by way of embrace, with me, and say, • We are as one by age ; at that M. Obenreizer also sat, remarking, with a smile: same time I sat upon my mother's lap in my fa"You are well ? So glau!” and touching his el-ther's carriage, rolling through the rich English bows again.

streets, all luxury surrounding me, all squalid pov"I don't know," said Vendale, after exchange of erty kept far from me. Such is my earliest rememsalutations, " whether you may yet have heard of brance as opposed to yours!' me from your Ilouse at Neuchâtel ?”

Mr. Obenreizer was a black-haired young man

supplied.

of a dark complexion, through whose swarthy skin the figure of the average English girl at nineteen. no red glow ever shone. When color would have A remarkable indication of freedom and grace of come into another cheek, a hardly discernible heat limb, in ber quiet attitude, and a wonderful purity would come into his, as if the maehinery for bring and freshness of color in her dimpled face and ing up the ardent blood were there, but the machin- bright gray eyes, seemed fraught with mountain ery were dry. He was robustly made, well-propor air. Switzerland, too, though the general fashion of tioned, and had handsome features. Many would her dress was English, peeped out of the fanciful have perceived that some surface change in him bodice she wore, and lurked in the curious clocked would have set them more at their ease with him, red stocking, and in its little silver-buckled shoe. without being able to define what change. If his lips As to the elder lady, sitting with her feet apart up could have been made much thicker, and his neck on the lower brass ledge of the stove, supporting a much thinner, they would have found their want lap-full of gloves while she cleaned one stretehed on

her left hand, she was a true Swiss impersonation But the great Obenreizer peculiarity was, that a of another kind; from the breadth of her cushioncertain nameless film would come over his eyes — like back, and the ponderosity of her respectable apparently by the action of his own will — which legs (if the word be admissible), to the black velvet would impenetrably veil, not only from those tell- band tied tightly round her throat for the repression ers of tales, but from his face at large, every ex- of a rising tendency to goitre; or, higher still, to her pression save one of attention. It by no means great copper-colored gold earrings; or, higher still, followed that his attention should be wholly given to ber head-dress of black gauze stretched on wire. to the person with whom he spoke, or even wholly “Miss Marguerite," said Obenreizer to the young bestowed on present sounds and objects. Rather, lady, “ do you recolleet this gentleman ?" it was a comprehensive watchfulness of everything “I think,” she answered, rising from ber seat, he had in his own mind, and everything that he surprised and a little confused, “it is Mr. Vendale ?" knew to be, or suspected to be, in the minds of "I think it is," said Obenreizer, dryly. Permit other men.

me, Mr. Vendale. Madame Dor." At this stage of the conversation, Mr. Oben- The elder lady by tbe stove, with the glove reizer's film came over him.

stretched on her left hand, like a glover's sign, half * The object of my present visit," said Vendale, got up, half looked over her broad shoulder, and ti is, I need hardly say, to assure you of the friendli- wholly plumped down again and rubbed away. ness of Wilding & Co., and of the goodness of your “Madame Dor,” said Obenreizer, smiling, " is so credit with us, and of our desire to be of service to kind as to keep me free from stain or tear. Madame you. We hope shortly to offer you our bospitality. Dor humors my weakness for being always neat, Things are not quite in train with us yet, for my and devotes her time to removing every one of my partner, Mr. Wilding, is reorganizing the domestic specks and spots.” part of our establishment, and is interrupted by Madame Dor, with the stretched glove in the air, some private affairs. You don't know Mr. Wilding, and her eyes closely scrutinizing its palm, discovered I believe ?”

a tough spot in Mr. Obenreizer at that instant, and Mr. Obenreizer did not

rubbed hard at him. George Vendale took bis * You must come together soon. He will be glad seat by the embroidery-frame (having first taken to have made your acquaintance, and I think I may the fair right hand that his entrance had checked), predict that you will be glad to have made his. and glanced at the gold cross that dipped into the You have not been long established in London, I bodice, with something of the devotion of a pilgrim, suppose, Mr. Obenreizer?”

who had reached his shrine at last. Obenreizer " It is only now that I bave undertaken this stood in the middle of the room with his thumbs in agency."

his waistcoat-pockets, and became filmy. " Mademoiselle your niece - is - not married ?" "He was saying down stairs, Miss Obenreizer," “ Not married."

George Vendale glanced about him, as if for any place, that people cannot escape one another. I tokens of her.

have found it much too large for me since I saw you " She has been in London ? "

last." " She is in London."

“ Have you travelled so far, then ?" she inquired. * When, and wbere, might I have the honor of “Not so far, for I have only gone back to Switrecalling myself to her remembrance ?"

zerland each year; but I could have wished - and Mr. Obenreizer, discarding his film and touching | indeed I have wished very often — that the little his visitor's elbows as before, said lightly: “ Come world did not afford such opportunities for long up stairs."

escapes as it does. If it had been less, I might have Fluttered enough by the suddenness with which found my fellow-travellers sooner, you know." the interview he had sought was coming upon him The pretty Marguerite colored, and very slightly after all, George Vendale followed up stairs. In a glanced in the direction of Madame Dor." room over the chamber he bad just quitted — a 1 " You find us at length, Mr. Vendale. Perhaps room also Swiss-appointed, - a young lady sat near you may lose us again." one of three windows, working at an embroidery-|“I trust not. The curious coincidence that has frame; and an older lady sat with her face turned enabled me to find you, encourages me to hope not." close to another white-tiled stove (though it was What is that coincidence, sir, if you please ?" summer, and the stove was not lighted), cleaning A dainty little native touch in this turn of speech gloves. The young lady wore an unusual quan- and in its tone made it perfectly captivating, tity of fair bright hair, very prettily braided about thought George Vendale, when again he noticed an a rather rounder white forehead than the average instantaneous glance towards Madame Dor. A English type, and so her face might have been a caution seemed to be conveyed in it, rapid flash shade – or say a light-rounder than the average though it was ; so he quietly took heed of Madame English face, and her figure slightly rounder than Dor from that time forth.

" It is that I happen to have become a partner in | ant-speech came to an end, she rubbed most vigora house of business in London, to which Mr. Oben- ously, as if applauding it. And once or twice, as reizer happens this very day to be expressly recom- the glove (which she always held before her, a little mended ; and that, too, by another house of above her face) turned in the air, or as this finger business in Switzerland, in which (as it turns out) went down, or that went up, he even fancied that we both have a commercial interest. He has not it made some telegraphic communication to Obenreitold you ?”

zer: whose back was certainly never turned upon * Áh!” cried Obenreizer, striking in, filmless. it, though he did not seem at all to heed it. “No. I had not told Miss Marguerite. The world Vendale observed, too, that in Marguerite's disis so small and so monotonous that a surprise is missal of the subject twice forced upon him to his worth having in such a little jog-trot place. It is as misrepresentation, there was an indignant treatment he tells you, Miss Marguerite. He, of so fine a of her guardian which she tried to check : as though family, and so proudly brèd, has condescended to she would have famed out against him, but for the trade. To trade! Like us poor peasants, who influence of fear. He also observed - though this have risen from ditches!"

was not much — that he never advanced within the A cloud crept over the fair brow, and she cast distance of her at which he first placed himself; as down her eyes.

though there were limits fixed between them. Nei“ Why, it is good for trade!” pursued Obenreizer, ther had he ever spoken of her without the prefix enthusiastically. It ennobles trade! It is the mis- “Miss," though whenever he uttered it, it was with fortune of trade, it is its vulgarity, that any low peo- the faintest trace of an air of mockery. And now ple — for example, we poor peasants — may take it occurred to Vendale for the first time that someto it and climb by it. See you, my dear Vendale !” thing curious in the man which he had never before He spoke with great energy. “The father of Miss been able to definé, was definable as a certain subtle Marguerite, my eldest half-brother, more than essence, of mockery that eluded touch or analysis. two times your age or mine, if living now, wan He felt convinced that Marguerite was in some sort dered without shoes, almost without rags, from a prisoner as to her free will; though she held her that wretched pass, — wandered, - wandered, - own against those two combined, by the force of her got to be fed with the mules and dogs at an Inn in character, which was nevertheless inadequate to her the main valley far away, - got to be Boy there, - release. To feel convinced of this, was not to feel got to be Ostler, – got to be Waiter, - got to be less disposed to love her than he bad always been. Cook, — got to be Landlord. As Landlord, he took In a word, he was desperately in love with her, and me (could he take the idiot beggar, his brother, or thoroughly determined to pursue the opportunity the spinning monstrosity, his sister ?) to put as pupil / which had opened at last. to the famous watchmaker, his neighbor and For the present, he merely touched upon the friend. His wife dies when Miss Marguerite pleasure that Wilding & Co. would soon have in is born. What is his will, and what are his words, entreating Miss Obenreizer to honor their establishto me, when he dies, she being between girl and ment with her presence, –a curious old place, though woman? “ All for Marguerite, except so much by a bachelor house withal, - and so did not protract the year for you. You are young, but I make her his visit beyond such a visit's ordinary length. Going your ward, for you were of the obscurest and the down stairs, conducted by his host, he found the poorest peasantry, and so was I, and so was her Obenreizer counting-house at the back of the enmother; we were abject peasants all, and you will trance-hall, and several shabby men in outlandish remember it.” The thing is equally true of most of garments, hanging about, whom Obenreizer put my countrymen, now in trade in this your London aside that he might pass, with a few words in patois. quarter of Sobo. Peasants once; low-born drudg- “ Countrymen," he explained, as he attended ing Swiss Peasants. Then how good and great for Vendale to the door. “Poor compatriots. Gratetrade": here, from having been warm, he became ful and attached, like dogs! Good by. To meet playfully jubilant, and touched the young wine again. So glad !” merchant's elbows again with his light embrace : Two more light touches on his elbows dismissed " to be exalted by gentlemen!”

him into the street. "I do not think so," said Marguerite, with a Sweet Marguerite at her frame, and Madame flushed cheek, and a look away from the visitor, that Dor's broad back at her telegraph, floated before was almost defiant. "I think it is as much exalted him to Cripple Corner. On his arrival there, Wildby us peasants.”

ing was closeted with Bintrey. The cellar doors " Fie, fie, Miss Marguerite," said Obenreizer. happening to be open, Vendale lighted a candle in “ You speak in proud England."

| a cleft stick, and went down for a cellarous stroll. * I speak in proud earnest,” she answered, quietly Graceful Marguerite Aoated before him faithfully, resuming her work," and I am not English, but a but Madame Dor's broad back remained outside. Swiss peasant's daughter."

The vaults were very spacious, and very old. There was a dismissal of the subject in her words, There had been a stone crypt down there, when bywhich Vendale could not contend against. He only gones were not by-gones; some said, part of a monksaid in an earnest manner, “I most heartily agree ish refectory; some said, of a chapel; some said, of with you, Miss Obenreizer, and I have already said a Pagan temple. It was all one now. Let who so, as Mr. Obenreizer will bear witness," which he would, make what he liked of a crumbled pillar and by no means did, “in this house."

a broken arch or so. Old Time had made what he Now, Vendale's eyes were quick eyes, and sharply liked of it, and was quite indifferent to contradicwatching Madame Dor by times, noted something in tion. the broad back view of that lady. There was con- The close air, the musty smell, and the thundersiderable pantomimic expression in her glove-clean- ous rumbling in the streets above, as being out of ing. It had been very softly done when he spoke the routine of ordinary life, went well enough with with Marguerite, or it had altogether stopped, like the picture of pretty Marguerite liolding her own the action of a listener. When Obenreizer's peas-against those two. So Vendale went on until, at a