T was a damp, gloomy morning, that Sunday. The snow was still falling fast, and the wind howling over the expanse of white ground; nor did the leaden-coloured sky give any prospect of clearing up.

Mother O'Neill's cottage felt as desolate as the weather. She moved wearily about, trying to ignite some damp sticks, but her limbs ached with pain, and her deliberate choice of sin weighed heavily on her spirit.

She succeeded, at length, in preparing her breakfast, and sat down to it, mentally occupied in arranging her plans for success. 'She had not secured Hotspur; she had not secured Grace; there was still time to-'. Pish! what trick was conscience playing her? there was no time to pause; none, if she would see her husband and boys again; none, if she did not mean to abide in that hut for ever! no-no-she must press on and on, or the week would pass, and all be hopeless. She could secure Hot

spur by a promise of the pony; he would not discover its falsity in three days; but how about Grace?

She pondered long. Could she have met Grace, she would have had no doubt of re-arousing her annoyance against Roger; but she gathered from the lapse of so many days since their meeting, that Grace had been forbidden. to come, probably to hold any intercourse with her, and if so, she could only get at her through Hotspur, in whose bungling she had no trust.

She must see him, however, and try. But she must keep herself out of sight, especially of Bob and Mrs Thirswell. Neither could she wait until Monday night, when they met by appointment; but she would spend that morning near Walpole Hall; it was not unlikely that he would take advantage of everybody's being at church, and himself being supposed there, to pay its environs a visit. She would go and see.

So she clad herself in her red cloak-Jem's last gift; and as the hour for service approached, left her habitation, and sheltered, by narrow lanes and high hedges, drew towards Walpole Hall.

As she approached, she saw with great satisfaction, nearly the whole family troop forth to church. Isabel was not among them, nor Grace, nor Mrs Thirswell, nor some of the younger children, and the observance of this fact warned mother O'Neill to avoid the house side of the tower, because, as she knew, the M'Ivor's nursery, and Mrs M'Ivor's bed-room and dressing-room looked upon it. But why did she want to go nearer the tower? She knew almost every stone in it. She knew where Grace was to deposit the key-why run any risk? She was safe where she was; she had better remain there.

But it is doubtful whether her increasing restlessness

would have allowed her to do so, had she not become aware of another figure creeping cautiously along behind the hedge of the walk in which she stood. It was Hotspur, bent on his fool's errand of circumventing the old woman, and arranging his plots by himself.

She divined his object; and her conviction that he was counter-scheming, destroyed the last remains of compunction at employing him as she wished. She followed him cautiously, just meeting him as he emerged into the shrubbery.

'Good day, Master Montgomery,' she whispered; 'this is better than meeting to-morrow. We have no time to

lose.'

Hotspur started on hearing her voice, and endeavoured in vain to conceal how disconcerted he felt at her presence. Mother O'Neill watched him silently, long enough to make him feel that she had fathomed him. She then continued

'We have no time to lose; and we have two to deal with instead of one. Young Master Walpole sleeps there,

too.'

How did mother O'Neill gain her information? No one could ever tell.

'Will you try the game with two there?' she inquired, 'or will ye give it all up? Maybe ye won't like to frighten Master Walpole.'

'Indeed! but I would! he is almost worse than Roger.' 'And there ain't much to fear, as both will be abed and asleep. . . The pony can be had, master, in a few days; but his price is L.9. I went about it yesterday.'

'Did you name me?' inquired Hotspur, nervously.

'No! d'ye take me for a fool? not but what, when that pony comes, I must pay; and then, if I haven't the price