A CONFIDENTIAL AGENT:

BY JAMES PAYN, AUTHOR OF.

CHAPTER XXXII,

MR SltitfET R»S A lIAU QUARTER OF AN

"By Proxy," "Under One Roof," "Walter's Word," "High Si-huts," Etc.

)IOUK,

OM Tuesday morning, when Mr Signet ar med at his ollice, lie found a business note awaiting him, couched in studiously nmttor-of-fact language. It was written, to be sure, on piuk paper, and had a crest on it that was meant to look as like a coronet as any crest could be which was not one ; but then that was the way in which Lady Pargitcr's business letters always arrived. "Lady Pargiter begs to inform Mr Signet that she will require her diamonds on Thursday evening next, at ten o clock. This simple communication, of which he fcad received scores before, worded almost precisely in the same manner, almost pro cisclv in the same manner, almost took the jeweller's breath away. If she had julded the postcript which she sometimes did— ' Lady Pargitor requests that the «crsoii sent with the jewels will be punctual (though Matthew was always in time), the communication could scarcely have more completely ignored all that had taken place since that fatal Pi May. Mr .Signet's impulse wiis to sit down and write a violent letter, assuring her ladyship, Unit if her hypocrisy was intended to imi>oHe on him in any way, it was alto gether thrown away : and hinting that if anybody, in /u'-v (Mr Signet's) opinion, was more likely tluin another to know wlut had become of Mr Helston and the jewels, it was, Lady I'nrgitcr her-rlf; but he had the prudence to wait for Mr Brail's arrival before committing himself to this step. The detective, though by no means so much movtd by her ladyship's letter aa his employer had been, attacked to it even a greater .signiiicaueo. "I don't mind being m hot water, JMr Signet,' he said. ' .Strong language and hustling, and even a rough and tumble with an ugly customer, arc quite in ray line ; but I must feel my feet wherever I go • this water is too' deep for mo, ami I cannot pretend to advise you. You must cull in a solicitor. Her ladyship has done ho already. 111 take my oath of it." " How do you know that ?" .■" Lor1 ble»n you, that note is not her writing—or leastways somebody guided her pen. You should have seen her tho other day, when 1 bad the honour to call upon her; she was more like a wild cat ihan a baronet's lady, and all because of these same jewels. If left to herself, she couldn't have written on the subject in this quiet style : no, she's writing under advice, • It is not your business,' some lawyer hai been saving to her, 'whether Mr .Signet has the diamonds or not; you needu tbe supposed to know anything about it. Just write, as usual, / umrt them foj tueh a tlutc.; then see what ho'llsay.' Tltoy don t want to strike the first blow, Mr Signet. . "I don't like lawyers,'said tho jeweller, •One generally finds when one employs them that the setting costs more than the stone. Moreover, they so contrive matters-with this and that legal proceed ing, mid their confounded phraseology, which 1 believe is written with the ink of the cuttlefish, so that no one should bo able to follow it—that the client loses sight of his own case when once committed to their keeping. For my part, 1 like to see where I'm goiiitf, not to be led like a blind man—to lie run over by a waggon-load of steel rails, perhaps, after all." " That i* the way the lawyers torn no doubt," assented Mr Brail coolly; ' Still, I should send for Cripps." Cripps and Archdalc were, as the detec tive was well aware, Messrs Star and Si"net's legal advisers. They dwelt in the East and were thought to be wise men after the fashion of the children of this world. . , „ . "The first tbing Cnpps will do, urged the jeweller, ' is to put John Rutherford iv caol. He has come across so very few honest men in his lifetime that he scarcely believes in their existence." " His experience, however, is no better as regardh tho other sex," argued Mr Brail, 'He won't take it for granted that Lady Pargiter herself is tho driven snow. He ain't like the rest of tho human ruco, the natural enemy of a cabman ; because, you see. his clients pny for his cabs." Perhaps Mr Signet (lid not take this cir cumstance into sufficient account, or perhaps he had a secret suspicion that (except in his own eyes) the case against Lady Pargiter—so far, at all events, as it ■was affected by Mr Rutherford's evidence would appear a weak one; but for the present at least he declined to call ill the services of his lawyer. "No Brail, I'd rather trust yon to c»tch her'ladyship tripping. When you've put the salt upon her tail, it will be time enough t.» call in Crinps. I suppose we must toko some notice of the woman's letter ? "Of curse, sir; not to do so would be to betray weakness, and ict wo must not commit ourselves by putting nen to paper. My advice is th-t you call in Moor-street, an'<t answer it by word of moirh." "Don't you think i/oud better go, Brail?" ~',., , j i • .. "Well, if you're afraid of her ladyship, retnrned «,he detective." -~,.., " Afraid ! What should I be of raid of! interrupted the jc-veller, witn a Hush of tolour that showd how the imputation had "one home. ' She can't snap my nose off." Mr Brail shook his head hut by no means in negation ; on the contrary, his lace seemed to say—" I am not su sure Of " You see, sir. it's my business to be snapped at," said he presently; "and even if I were to lose my nose, it would be but the fortune of war.' I have no Eort of ob jection to go to La'iy Pivgiter's ; but what would be the good of it ? Her eyes arc now open to the fact that I am in your employ ment ; she would uot be so frank with me —though it is true she lied considerably even then—as upon the last occasion; whereas to you—as fc principal, although Her enemy—she would speak her mind. Mr Signet did not look as if this prospect •was very grateful to him; no doubt it was desirable to learn, if possible, what Lady Pargiter had in her mind, but to hear her speak it—or even a piece of it—was not a treat to look forward to. On his native heath—in tho establishment in Paulet .street— Mr Signet knew how to meet his enemy; but in Moor-street—among her ladyship's minions, or, still worse, alone with her, with no help within call —he felt that he should be at a disadvantage. He could not be said to be in bodily fear though, if lie' Had really believed that she had made away with his representative, (hat might of course have been possible— lout he was certainly much dismayed at the ootton of a Utt-aMe with her.

"I suppose, if I went," said Mr Signet (for it was pleasant to him to feel that he had still the alternative of not going), "my Hue would be to hcur all she has to say, and to answer as little us possible" •'Just bo; only you must stick to your gunn, you know." . " Why, really. Brail, one 'would think you took me for a coward," exclaimed the jeweller ; ho felt very indignant with his companion, and not the leas so that he was conscious of a certain moisture upon his lirow caused by his own secret mis-

givings. " Not at all—not at all 1" protested the detective; "but I know the influence of women. The urgume'nts of a lady of title in her own house have a certain—what shall I call it ?—impetus." "Oh, hang her impetus I" relurnod the jeweller. "She won't argue me out of £25,000.— Well, well, I'll go myself, then, to Moor-street this afternoon." Mr Brail replied, " Very good; " but there was a twitching at the corner* of his mouth which betrayed that he was amused. He believed that his employer had fixed the afternoon instead of the morning for his visit, in hopes that lie might not lind Lady Pargiter at home.

If this had been Mr Signet* expectation, it was doomed to disappointment. He timed his call (which certwnly nave some colour to Mr Brail's view) Jatjan hour when v lady of fasldon is almost certain to be visiting her acquaintances ; but his inquiry as to whether her ladyship was within was answered in the afhrmative, and lie was shown up at once into her boudoir. lie had been to Moor-street before, and lie felt that there was a diU'erence in the mode of hispiesentr.ception. Hecouldnotbeaware, of course, of wliat was actually the case, but her ladyship had been waiting for him with impatience throughout the day, and had given orders that no one else was to be admitted to hw presence ; but when he heard the front door close behind them, lie felt that he would have given five pounds to be on the other side of it. Nor did lie like being ushered past the usual re ception rooms to her ladyship's sanctum on the second Moor.

She was sitting at her escritoire when ho entered the room, writing—or pretending to write—a letter.

She bowed and pointed to a chair, and for a few moments continued her occupa tion. Whether her doing so was an inten tional impertinence or not, its effect was unfortunate for her; for it gave Mr Signet time to collect his ideas, and—to say truth—to still a certain tluttering in the region of his heart, caused by tho thought that his duel with this formidable antago nist, and on which so much depended, wus about to begin. " You j,'ot my note, I conclude,this morn ing, Mr Signet ':" she presently observed, with some abruptness. " Yes, Lady Pargiter; I am here in consequence of it." She lifted her eyebrows, or rather (for she had none to lift) the skin of her forehead. She intended to signify, in an indifferent way—" Why have you taken so much trouble'; A post-card would have done as well." But, lier eyes belied her would-be careless look ; they were tierce and wolfish.

"I thought, my lady, your communica tion a very extraordinary one, considering the circumstances of the case." "My communication?'' Here her brow came down instead of up, in spite of herself.

" Do you mean my note?" "Yes, madam. You cannot but be aware that your diamonds arc not at present in my possession."

"You are very much mistaken, Mr Signet, for I believe they are." The insult, and its suggestion, were unmistakable. Mr Signet's swarthy face turned pale, and he did not diiswcr lar for some moments.

" I should have thought, madam, thnt you could scarcely have been ignorant," he said speaking /cry slowly, " that since Friday morning last, when Mr Helston called on you iy appointment as usual, he has mysteriously disappeared."

'• I have heard something of that; —yes " (she affected to consider) —"there was a paragraph about it in one of the papers."

"And a policeman called here also, I understood," suggested Mr Signet; his voice was low, but very clear; Lady Par giter was still studiously indifferent. It was like tho scrape of the rapiers |before the quick thrust and parry.

" Yes, I saw him. He told me your confi dential agent was missing. I was sorry for you, of course, but I did not think it ne cessary to condole with you in my note; it was only a letter of business, to tell you that I should want my diamonds on Friday." " Still, as the man was lost in your ser vice, Lady Pargiter, as much as in my own, and more, one would have thought you would have alluded to it, unless you had reasons to the contrary. His disappearance has afflicted his unhappy wife and family beyond expression." " So I read in the newspaper, Mr Signet. Still, as I had not the pleasure of their ac quaintance, I did not condole with them, —Perhaps you have come about some sub scription for them j if so, I mu.-t decline my aid to any such purpose. Mr Helston was in your service—as to his being in mine, if 1 had had any voice in the matter, which I hail not—l nhould have preferred someone else; yon knew his worth, it seems;_ I didn't; and of course it is to you his family must look for recompense." '• You take a hard view of the case, Lady Pargiter." "Hard? I take no view of tho case at all, Mr Signet. Pray let us have done with Mr Helston." " And yet you must know that with Mr Helston your diamonds have also dis appeared " " I may know it, or believe it, from re port ; but I have n" > fticial information —that is, from yourself—about it. In a->y ea«c, however, .he matter does not concern me. When I say I want my diamonds on Friday, that moans I must either luwo them or their equivalent, i he precise sum agreed upon in our memorandum—l have a duplicate of it somewhere—was,, I think, £25,000. .. "Then even while this affair remains a mystery, and Mr Helston (whom I beliove to be as innocent as your ladyship in this matter) is still only under suspicion, you would press tor what you deem your legal rights?" ' "Most certainly I shall do so." " Perhaps you have not considered, Lady Pargiter, that the very fact of my allowing your claim at this stage of the matter—sup posing that I did so—would brand by impli cation Mr Matthew Helston as a thief."

"I have certainly not considered that, Mr Signet; it is a contingency that has never entered my thoughts; nor does it affect me now one feather's weight. You are taking up my time sir, to no purpose. On Friday next—as I wrote to you—l demand of you either my diamonds or your money, I have nothing more to say." She half turned to her desk as it to re sume her writing, but he noticed that she still watched him—and with anxiety too— from the corner of her eye. "My diamonds or your money!" he re peated' to himself fiercely. " Why, this woman is like a highwayman with, his 'Your money or your"life.' Nay, she is a highwayman; a robber—for might I know a murderer. I will never pay her a six» pence."

Then he answered, with quiet distinctness as before: "You urge your claitiuwith great severity, madam; with a barsnncif*, indeed, that reminds me of Shy lock." " Of wlwmV inquired Lady Pargiter, who, pernaps fortunately for the jeweller, wan not a student of Shakespeare. • " Well, I will rather say, you remind me of your father, madam, in his s'rict adhesion to his legal claims. He would al ways have his bond—and s> shall you. The strict letter of if, and not one iota more." " I don't want any more than £25,000, Mr Signet," replied the other coldly; "that is, if it is paid by Friday ; after that date I shall require the interest at five per cent. I think that was mentioned iv the memo randum ?' "It wa°, Lady Pargiter. I have been refreshing my memory with that document this morning. It especially makes me res ponsible for the jewels in the person of my agent, whose Teccipt " Ho paused here by design. The boudoir was at the back of the house, removed from all noise and movement; there were but three things that struck upon his ear.as he spoke that pregnant word—the beating of his own heart; the ticking of the French clock upon the mantelpiece; and the breathing of Lady Pargiter—which had suddenly become hard and loud : in her in teDse excitement, that equine peculiarity she had of "snorting " had been involun tarily developed : her eyes had grown un naturally prominent. Mr Signet felt cer tainjthat the information was to be relied

on, . •' In the person of my agent, whose receipt," continued he, with great distinct ness," •' shall be considered a full discharge of all responsibility on ilie part of Lady Par giter—you holt', that receipt, of course, my lady !" For tlic moment he thought she would have struck him, and drew back mechani cally. As she stretched out her long scraggy neck, and beaked face, with its purplish flush, it reminded him of some angry vul ture in the Zoological Gardens. "You scoundrel 1" she shrieked; "you thief !" " Ah, you have not got it then," said Mr Signet, his triumph overpowering his fears. "If you liad.it would hava been no matter. I have the cabman's evidence that my agent remained here, and your own disproved falsehood about sending your footman after him, to back it. 1 should therefore have declined to pay forfeit to you iv any case ; but now—now that I know you have not got the receipt—l will never pay you ooc penny. You want your legal riguts, do you? you shall have them ; try them, claim them, push them—and see what comes of it!" If Lady Pargiter looked like a vulture, it should be* added that her antagonist resem bled a cockatoo ; every word he uttered was delivered with a jerk of his head and body, to signify at once both victory and defiance. There was little wanting.in fact, to his similitude to the bird except, the ci cat, and this he in part supplied by clapping his baton in her ladyship's presence, and tod dling rapidly from the room. Not, however, before Lady Pargiter s voice reached him, laden with menace as well as reproaches. " Chcat,thief,liar I" she cried, "you have suborned my waiting-maid ; but it shall not avail you. To-morrow—see what I will do to-morrow ; look in the paper to-morrow morning, Mr Signet." And then again came her " Cheat, thief, liar!" like the re frain of some cadger's tong in a new " Beggars' Opera."

CHAPTER XXXIII. TROUBLE IN THE MEWS.

Next to his friends in Cavendish Grove, there was no one iv all London cognisant of Matthew Helston's disappearance — and who, by this time, but was aware of it ? — who was half so much distressed by it as Mrs !■; utherford, of Hyhla Mewc. She wag grieved upon the missing man's account, distressed beyond measure upon that of his wife, and anxious and worried and in dignant upon that of her husband. She was confident that he was as innocent of complicity with any crime-and especially one that had Matthew Helston for its vic tim— as one of his own cab horses, but she could not conceal from herself that the cir cumstances of the casa threw suspicion upon him. She admitted in her own mind that not only the visits paid to them by Miss Thurlow and Mr Signet were only what might have been looked for, but that that even of Mr Brail had been justified. This had not been her husband's view. In spite of the detective's earnest and confiden tial tone, honest John had known him to be a policeman—"spotted him," as he had expressed it—at the first glance; and he had shown himself cur', not to say anta gonistic, accordingly. It is one of ihe pecu liarities of his class, when unjustly sub mitted to the examination of the civil power, to be so. and his morose behaviour had im pressed Mr Brail in his favour much more than if he had been fawninu or even civil. Moreover, he had stuck precisely to the fame tale throughout, which also worked in his tavour, though cautious Mr Brail by no means considered this conclusive. "It might be or it mightn't," be said ; "some folks blush because they are innocent, and others because they're guilty; some look you in the face because they have nothing to fear, and others because they're ' owda cions.' And in just the came way some will stick to the samp tale because it's true, and others because they ha. ye learnt it by heart—and when it was so. »he shorter it was the better." If John Rutherford had leirnt hi« story by heart, he had Icarnv, it very well The hour he reached Monr Street witH his fare ; »he hour he departed from it without him ; the distance, as he judged, he had gone down th« street before h° was run after and recalled by ' Six foot '; the space "f time (a very short one) tha. hafl elapsed between Matthew's leaving •the cab the second time, and the message brought to him that his fare had been asked to stay, and the words of th« message —aUI this aevor varied with him. "It is the simple truth,'1 he would generally arid, in a qu'et, natural manner, which, when wearied by questioners (for evcyhody was curious to hear his story), he would supple ment in this way : " Butif youdon'tchoose to believe it, you may let it alone." To the wife "f his bosom he had said Hpain and again, " They may put me in prison. Sally, or they may cut my head oil"; but they won't get nothing more out of me." And to her mind his words had carried convic tion. But simple as .she was, and ignorant of the wiy^ of the great world, she knew more about those of ordinary life than Lady Porgitcr; from the momemt that Amy came with her sad news, she felt that Mr Mat thew Helston's case — especially as it in cluded the Pargiter diamonds—was an egg to be hatched, if hatched at all, by a sitting magistrate; and that the person in whose company Mr Helston had last been seen would be tho person held responsible for hia rocoverv.

Honest John, on the other hand, having given his testimony and expressed his wil lingness to give it again, appeared to feel no apprehensions on his own account, and ignored, or affected to ignore, allfnrther responsibility. He was sorry, he said; very sorry, for Master Matthew, and most sin* cerely hoped all would turn out to be well

with him; but if it were not well, he seemed to see no reason why it should he ill with himself. He went about his work as usual, as if nothing had happened. Sally's love, however, quickened her fears, aad 'made her observant. She saw that the cloud which hung over the missing man threw the shadow of suspicion, in their neighbours' eyes, over her husband, and that though his society was much sought after in the Mews, and especially at the " Kisin" Sun," it was not out of friendship, but from a morbid curiosity. They liked to hear the details of his story, but espe cially from Mr own lips, because they felt he could tell so much more if_ he cliose. This made her sad and very indignant, hut not so much as to forget the case of her good friend Mrs Helston, who had so much more cause for sorrow — and indeed for in dignation too—thao she. The cabman's wife had. a kind disposition and a mind not altogether uncultivated, and though she had been a domestic servant, she tuJk none of that pleasure in family catastrophes which is an attribute—though by no mean* a peculiar one—of her class, tor the first few days she had "not the heart" to go to poor " Miss Sabey that was," and condole with her upon her great calamity; she had hoped, every hour, that something would occur to clear up the mystery of Mr Hel ston's ab>ence, and to absolve her from so unpleasant an errand; but she now began to fet-1 that this duty was incumbent on her. and ought to be no longer delayed. On the afternoon of Mr Signet's visit to Moor-street she accordingly walked over to ' avendish Grove,and was received by Amy . very kindly. " Whether my sister will feel able to see you or not, I cannot say, Mrs Ilutherford. In any case, I am sure she will take your coming as very kind." "Don't sptak of that, Miss Amy; of course I understand what my presence must remind her of ; and if it's better not " " No, it ia not that, Sally. _ There is no fear .of reminding my poor sister of what never escapes her recollection even for an instant. But, she may not teel equal to it." " I would not overtask her strength for worlds," returned Sally gravely ; " if that is your real reason, it is tuificieDt for me. But you never was good at deceiving folks, Miss Amy; you could allus easier say ' No.' however it grieved you, and I do think you have some other objection in your mind. Perhaps Mrs Helston thinks —God forgive her if it be so- that my John has some hand in her present calamity 2" "Heavenforbid 1" replied Amy earnestly: ''no, pray don't think that, Sally;" Her hesitation had been caused, not indeed ex actly as Mrs Rutherford suggested, but by the opinions she had heard Frank express respecting the cabman; she herself be lieved in his innocence, but if her lover should happen to be right, how dreadful it would be for her sister to see this woman!

In the end she left the decision to Sabey herself, who was aware of Mr Barlow's views. "Of course I will Bee Sally," was her sister's reply; and the interview tooic place accordingly. At the sight of Mrs Helston.so white and wan, and "with all the life taken out of her," as her visitor afterwards expressed it, Mrs Rutherford burst into tears.

'• Don't cry, Sally," yiid Sabey, putting up her thin cheek to the other's kiss; " though indeed I wish I could weep as you do."

"Indeed, Miss Sabey, I wish you could ; for it always does one a power of good. And yet it is a good sign in your case, for if you thought Mr Helston were really gone from you for ever, your tears would come quick enough." Sabey shook her head: she did thick he was gone for ever, but she could not be sure.

"Wi.it a kind gentleman lie was," con tinued the good woman ; "and how consid erate ! John says lie never drove a fare like him ; with always a pleasant word, or a bit of bacca, or a drop of good drink on a cold night. Even if it hadn't been Master Matthew, as he had known from a child, he'd 'a' <took to him, he says, as he never took to anyone else." " If my husband missed his opportunities as people say," said Sabey, as if speaking to herself, "it was not' those which were ottered to him of doing a kindness to his feUow-creatues."

" That is very true, ma'am ; he could never hurt a fly; and to think anyone would have done harm to him for the sake of them rubbishy diamonds, is almost past belief."

"There are very wicked people in the world, I fear," said Amy. "Yea, and some as has no call to it, as you may say, ma'am: folks out of the reach of temptation, like Lady Pargiter."

" Let us speak ill of n» one wiihout proof," said Sabey solemnly. She had not, as we know, been wont to spare her lady ship, for had not her Matthew good cause for disliking her? bnt of late Sabey had altered in this respect; if her husband were dead, it seemed a want of reverence to his memory to keep alive anything (such as a prejudice or animosity) that might now appear to eyes from which the scales had fallen an unworthiness. Moreover, Sabey who had thought t'>e whole matter out a hundred times, did not believe ia Lade Par giter b guilt; and it was her duty to reprove slander, which was even now flickering with its forked tongue against her own dearest and nearest 1

" I don't know about proof," said Mrs Rutherford ; " but the mistress of them in whose company he was seen last—and they wert Lady Pargiter's gervants—ought to know more about what ha* become of your poor husband than anyone else.".

There was no answer. Amy kept her eyes upon the ground, and Sabey was look ing .-traight before her in semi-unconscious ness of her visitor's presence. To her_ the woman's words, though they had a direct reference to her bereavement, scarcely n ached her eeuse ; she was like one who, full of thought aod years, listens to some you^g pulpiteer preaching upon "Fate, Freewill,. Foreknowledge .absolute;" the topic is important, i.ut from him no new light is likely to be shed upon it. . '■'You think my John a liar f said Mrs Ruiherford suddenly, "Indeed, Sally, we don't Ray that,' ob served Amy gently. "But you think it, and Mrs Hclston thinks itr'

" The night was dark," said Sabey, with grave distinctness, like a judge who is giving his charge to a jury; "the snow was falling, and the wind was blowing. Your husband was tired, no doubt; his senses were not so keen as under other circumstan ces ; and he may have been mistaken as to what was said to him by the footman re garding my dear husband,"

"It was not so, Miss Sabey; indeedit was not so. John had his senses about him quite as usual, and he had taken no liquor. However, as you say, he may nave been mistaken; but oh, my dear young ladies, he was not misguided. You have said just now that we should speak ill of no one without proof! but is it not as wrong to think ill of them ? You are woe-stricken, dear Miss Sabey, and hardly answerable for the thoughts which sorrow has pnt into your heart; I forgive you them, whatever they be. But do not think, I pray yon do not think, that my John is to blame in the matter. His heart is as sound, ma'am, as your poor husband's is; and though he has

■5 ■$ done fewer kindnesten to otherg,he id mind, ful of those whicli have been done to him. If I thought that John, my John, could so fap forget whose wife it was who came to;me hj, the fever as to lift his hand " , ' j " Sally, Sally, wo don'c think it," expos tulated Amy, for the woman had thrpwn. herself upoit her knees, in a passion of 1 mingled repudiatinu and appeal,' '' You do— she does !" cried Sally, •« g]j c thinks my husband has robbed, perfiai* murdered, his friend and bencfactdr. If j thought so, so help me Heaven, I WOu m give him up to the hangman with myd^n. I Sands." , ... s "Sally—Sailv—forgive me," falt« tt d> i Saboy, rising from- her chair, andhojajn c out her arms fot her embrace. '<|f J have done ybnr husband wrong in thought —and pcrlmps I have—l humoly aakyou,. pardon. Tho best, the most honest o f n. (alas ! I know it) do not, where all k dsrfc : escape suspicion. I know, as wefl jj t:v . wbo made him, that my Matthewiigjj.," as snow from the least stain upon bttli£;' 1 loaihe, despise, abhor those whodiie ii hint otherwise. Then, why should I deny to you the faith that I hold so firmly in jn T own case? I do not deny legally, lie! lievc your husband to bo innocent of »H> complicity in this matter: that he baa no* hand whatever in breaking this poorheait" "The Lord Almighty bless you a'niiioni. fort you, Miss Sabey, for saying those blessed words," sobbed the good woman, - " Oh, how glad lam I came to you 1" ','; ". It was strange to sec—and might have been a lesson to the most melancholy-., what joy bad been imparted to thia good woman by poor Sabey, who herself, was absolutely joylcs. Mrs Rutherford returned home thatafter^ J"; no'in a far happier woman, forit had weigh ed, heavily on hn mind that Mrg HelsM>n.i ■' might entertain bitter thoughts of hk John. All she had said in his defence to her had been genuine and hnnest. Only, in order to introduce the subject, she had l - spoken out more plainly agaiust Lady Par. giter—and had been very properly reproved for it- than she had been justified in doing for in her heart of hearts she did not believe' • * that her ladyohip had had any hand in fhjg matter. Her husband thought otherwise, it was true, and his evidence, in whidh she believed in every particnlar, tended that way no doubt; but she herself felt fiat there must be some mistake. BervJady. ship's servants - some of those good*fot nothing " Six-feet"—might have done Ihe - mischief among themselves (but she could not believe that Lady Pargiter Had ,stolen her own diamonds. , ,' i That other persons, such as Captain • Langton, had had their eyes upon them, sbe was satisfied, and on them hergnspidons would have rested, but for tliefaettaat it '■ was under Lady Pargiter's roof that Maithew was left by her husband, and that oat oi Lady Pargiter's doors he had never since M been seen to pass. On her returning borne, "sheww.disap. ;j| pointed at finding that John had not \et returned, for the longed to '..tell him tnatja she had been to Cavendish Grove, andai made his peace for him with Mrs Helston|» in her state of mental excitement »hefc found she could not sit down as usual X to her needle-work; her thoughts were al- ' , ways etraying to the poor forlorn yonng^S lady she had just left, and to the myste* ■ i riom calamity that had befallen her. "I can't stand this," she murmured: to herself •■■#* at last; " I shall go mad.if I keep thinking about it, without a soul to talk to. I'll just run up and down the walls, and pnt i things straight." To an ordinary intelligence her ex pressed, intention of " running up and down ii the wails " would have soundtias if Mrs Rutherford were mad already}' but tores a coninion term of here for clearing ant the premises and making thopi tidytwliiish '' occupation had such a charm for herfwiit has with all good housewivc-) that when engaged in it she had no thought of-any thing else. She did not possess tbat blessing to housemaids,aTurksh«ad broom, nor even a pair df step-, but mounting ova chair, she began to use a bandbrarii in a* . very workmanlike style. The room was low, so that even tbe ceiling was vritbin reach of her ministrations ; and very soon not a c>bweb nor a speck of dust was to be ; seen. She wssimt giving a finishing touch v 1 to the top nf their common wardrobe, »nich _ was, however, out ot sight, when her -' brush knocked against some metallic suV •.'; stance. ' Lawk a merdy, why, what's that! cried Sally. She put up her hand wiUiaO '<M ltttle curiosity, and from tbe receptacle Wj? j question, where it had evidently been | placed for the purpose of conceamwS||i she brought out a large pistol. AniazemeSMif and alarm were st first her only feelings: she had a belief in the danger cf firearms r which unhappily it not alway* found co existent with an ignorance of their use, ' . and she laid the weapon upon the table, talon" c»roto point the muzzle away fom her, as though it had been a self-acting Infernal Machine. When it showed no - signs of going off, her personal apprehen sions subsided, but only to be replaced W«| fears of another kind. How on earth m^M her husband come to be possessed of «»™j™H an instrument? What did a o broanwßn^S with a pistol ? Even if she had know it WBB*fl a horse-pistol, it would liave been no answer;; M tosnch a question; a» it was, therejra» m not a trace of association between them. It had felt no heavy that she was convuMM that it was l»aded ; but, loaded or not, what business had her John to ownJtr g That it was his she had no doubt; forisbe had knowu him to use the top ofthe » robe before for purposes, as he flattoei -,Jxt himself, of concealment; being under the impression tbat her brush did not myade that dus-covt-red but elevated Kgion. Now, with pistols Sally wns always accus- ; tomedto associate crimes of violence £ anas m had not such a crime been in all probabiJity ; rommittcd upon Mr Matthew Helston} The interencewas only too obvious, sue ■■* did not even now think her :| guilty of an offence so heinous; but she^did not fe^l that cert,itityy,his v innocence wliich. she had ent r aiued .fi^e, nmrt*r - ago. Suppose tlie police-had beensentby.,.. : .. ; Mr Brailw MrSign^W^^¥^ ■ ,; If slie bad not hc^9t°W t She ■ ly they would have aooe so and d^ the worst deduction fvotv'it. •- Mich a tllia" made her stout litmra qu&Ke | Sfca^C first thought was how to get rid of it, or at all events to place it in lomem re secret spo. She thoudvtfor» ■ moment of putting it into the JMJ tunately for her verves, gave up that pla . reflected that iron did not easily melt. Then another element suggested xtee , whicli would hide the thmg equal^ well, and also h»ve the advnnto ? e o «!""# : its powers tor ill. With mnnite ca| hon, she lifted the pistol, as she atewards de scribed it/'b/Uie ears w-it was fortunately at half-cock,or the hammers wo^ h*veM ; ■ l; fentedthistreatment-andsteppingintoUie verandah, dropped it gently into the water. blri«X'. awaited the return of her bus- ~ band, with anxiety, indeed and n.«gmng^. . but wth something less of immediate a arm V The sood news she had ; to^give ha had vanished; it was no longer in her mtadj and wltat sort of news, she wondered, wouia John, linger compulsion, ha,ve to p^*" 1 .; s That, he had concealed something fromJi«V besides the pis^l, was certain: the only question was, How muth?orHow,bad.' (Tobecontinueii.y Ij |

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, APRIL 29, 1882.

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