THE WEIRD SISTERS.

A ROMANCE.

BY RICHARD BOWLING.

Author ov "The Mystery; of KiixißD."

PART II: THE TOWERS % SILEHGE

CHAPTER IV.

IHE TWO GUARDIANS,

When the two men found themselves in the library it was quite dusk outside, and a deep gloom filled the room. There was no one else in the place, and no candle or lamp illumed the dark and cavernous re cesses of shadows lying here and there re mote from the great window.

" I will not.detain you long, Mr Grey Do you vvish for lights?"

" Not at all, Sir William."

This man, who had come iv the morning as a stranger, and whom he, Grey, promised himself he would quickly eject if he made himself unpleasant or pushed himself upon Miss Midharst after the reading of the will, was now treating him, Grey, as a guest in that house ! And not only that, but he had pushed himself upon Miss Midharst, and seemed to have got on very well with her, judging horn the parting which had just taken place between them. The tables were turned on him, Grey, and the less light there was to expose his discomfiture, the pleasanter for him. The gold was still leading, still leading, but only oy a head ; and the lead was gaming, hairs-breadth by hairs-breadth, every minute.

" Suppose we sit near tbe window, where the most litsht is," said Sir William.

They both moved towards the window, and, having taken chairs, the younger man began : "In the first place, Mr Grey, let me thank you most cordially for all your great ltindness aud care shown to Miss Midharst during this troublesome time. I assure you I shail never forget the debt of gratitude I owe you for yourgenerosity and devotedness underjthe trying circumstances."

" I feel greatly flattered by your approval, Sir William. I have tried in my humble way to do my duty, and if I have failed, I have failed through no want of desire to do my duty by the child of—if I may be per mitted to call him so—my old friend Sir Alexander Midharst."

There was a strange mixture of emotions in Grey's voice as he spoke. Sarcasm and fear miugled freely, and" theyoui.gman was for a moment in doubt as to how he should proceed. Mr Grey, now alone and in the dark, did not impress him quite so favour ably as earlier in the day, wnen others were present, aud when the man's face and figure could be seen.

Ihe young man paused a while, and made up his mind not to inquire into the constituents of that tone if it were not re peated. "It," he thought, "may have been acci deDtal."

Aloud he said, "I did not come into this neighbourhood until last night, since then every one I met seems to have done nothing but sing your praise. All the people at the ' Warfinger Hotel' have spoken in unstinted terms of respect. You must not think they knew who 1 was, for I gave no name. I.was and am greatly de lighted at this, lor I hope from it you and I may gee on well together, out of consider ation tomycou-ia's comfort."

" I sincerely trust we may always get on well together. I certainly will not deliber ately risk losing your good opinion."

This time there was Dothing unusual or disquieting in the tone. Grey had himself caught the import of his own voice in his previous riply, aod felt he had made a great mistake. It was very hard though for him, Grey, a man of bis position and stand in?, to sit there and be blandly approved of by this young man—by this young man who seemed to take his own success in all things as a foregone conclusion. He, Grey, must play his cards carefully, and above all things be must not show the direction in whicn it was necessary for him to force the game. But he was in the dark; and if denied the expression of his feelings to his voice, he might allow them to run riot over his face, and it was a relief to frown and 3Cowl and sn»er iv silence.

" I have first of all a favour to ask you, Mr Grey." "I am sure, Sir William, if it is in my power to grant it, I shall be only too happy to do so." This was said in the banker's most urbane accents.

" Well, I understand that your bank has kept tbe Midharst account for a long time ; will you be kind enough to accept the keep ing of mine '!" "The Midharst has been the most im portant of all our accounts for a long time, and we sball feel honoured aud delighted if you will favour us with

yours." 1 here was nothing very dreadful about this. It seemed as if the young baronet would turn out as confiding and unin quieitive as the old one. So far this looked promising. "And now," said Sir William, " will you do me another favour ?"

"If," returned the banker, in a gay tone of hadinage, " the second favour at all resembles the first, I think I could go on granting you such favours all the nieht."

This young man was not only simple and confiding, but downright amiable and sociable.

"You' must not think that T am extrava gant Mrhen i.have said what I am going to say "

"My dear Sir William, if you want any money, you draw on us, as a matter of course, for any sum you may require. That is an affair of ordinary business, not favour ; and it was quite unnecessary for you to say anything about it."

Things were growing more comfortable as they got along.

" Why, I should not wonder," thought Grey, with a smile that almost developed into a laugh —" 1 should not wonder if he gave away the bride." " But the sum I require is large." " Draw on us for it in the morning," " I don't think you would say so if you knew the sum." " Try us. Draw on us to-morrow." " Twenty thousand ?" " Only ? I thought the sum was a serious one I You really must not think of attaching any importance to such a matter. My dear Sir William, you can draw on us for fifty thousand without notice. If you have the least occasion for more than fifty, just tell me four days be fore you draw, so that there may be no chance of a disappointment to you." Grey thought, "Clearly this young man is In debt. How iucky ! When a man is in debt and wants money badly he will do " He paused, thought of his own

case, shuddered, and whispered in the in nermost solitude of the desert of crime where he and his spectre dwelt, —"he will do anything—murder 1" " You must not think lam in debt. Ido not owe a shilling. I never did." "That is highly creditable in a young man of your expectations," said Grey, in a tone of high admiration. To himself he said, " I'm sorry it isn't for debts he wants the money. What can he want the money for? Nothing good, I'll swear." "You see, Mr Grey, I may seem abrupt to you, but I do not mean to be so." '• I assure you I cannot guess why you for a moment imagine I could find reason to think you abrupt." '' Ah, well, yes ! What I said about abruptness has rather to do with what I am about to say than with anything I have yet said. I am very quick to decide upon things, and very prompt to act, and I may say without boasting that once I take a thing in hand I usually make it turn out as I wish; I like to do things that seem difficult; but I never undertake anything when 1 do not clearly see my way to realis ation."

"Most useful, positively invaluable qualities," said Grey, in a tone of admira tion ; mentally he thought, "If what this man says of himself is true, my life depends upon the direction this, cursed activity of his takes."

" 1 have to leave the country for a time. I must go back to Egypt for some months."

" Indeed I" ejaculated Grey. He could scarcely repress a cry of joy. To be rid, and rid quickly, of this dreamy energetic man, was a mercy for which he did not dare to hope. "Do you leave .England soon?" Grey asked in a tone oi gentle sorrow.

"In a few days. Ten days at the out side, aud before I leave I want the money, and to put tbe thing I have decided upon in trim."

"Can I be of any farther assistance to you than financially ?"

"Yes, I think you can, if you will be kind enough. You take a great interest in Miss Midharst?"

"Aha)'' exclaimed Grey, as though he had been struck. The question of the young man caused the terrible importance of Miss Midharst to present itself suddenly to his mind. He saw at one glance the stakes he had put down, and the prize for which he was playing; and thus coming suddenly upon a bird's-eye view of his posi tion, he received a violent shock, which forced the exclamation from him.

"What's the matter?" cried the young man, rising quickly and approaching the banker. " Are you hurt ?"

"Pray excuse me. It is nothing, Sir William. Do be seated. I am very sorry for having alarmed you. Some little time ago I injured my knee—as I thought at tbe time, slightly; but it often gives me a single pang of most acute pain, and in crossing my legs just as you spoke that pang came, and I could not but cry out, if my life depended on not doing so. I know you will excuse me, Sir William ; the pain is all gone. I think you were saying, when 1 so unhappily interrupted you, that you and 1 take a deep interest in Mis 3 ■Midharst."

" \cu are sure you are all right ?" " Yes, quite sure.

" Did you ever hear the death-scream of a torse?"

" No, never."

" Your about frightened me ; it was like tha>. Well, as I was saying, we both take an interest in Mis 3 Midharst. You know the way Sir Alexander treated this place. I heard of it, and to-day I see it."

" Yes ; it is naked enough." " Weii, it is'not a fit place for Miss Mid harst to reside in now."

1' I have been thinking, of coursa, of getliug a suitable house for her until we are able to buy or build one."

"Oh, I don't mean anything of that kind. She is to stay here."

"Stay here I You do not know that from me, Sir William. It is not my inten tion. My intention was to place my own house at her disposal, and live in my town house."

"Ob, but it is all settled : she Is to stay here."

" All settled! All settled, Sir William, and by whom ?"

" uy Miss Midharst and me.''

"But—but—" Grey was trembling all over now, he knew not why—"but, Sir William, one would think Mis 3 Midharst's guardian might have been consulted on the matter before all was settled."

" I assure you he was." " But I pledge you my word, Sir William, this is the first I have heard of it."

"My dear Mr Grey, there is some mis take. You surely do not imagine you are Miss Midharst's guardian ?"

"Then, in ihe name of Heaven," cried Giey feebly, " if I am not, who is ?"

"I."

" You .' But the will does not mention your name 1"

_" Nor yours, as guardian of her person. You will take charge of Miss Midliars is for tune, as by will appointed. I will take charge of Miss Midharst herself, by position as head of the house. You did not catch the full drift of the meaning of the will. I paid particular attention to that para graph."

"No doubt yoaare right, Sir William. I did not pay particular attention to that paragapb. x gathered that I was the only guardian named, and I concluded the con ditions were the usual ones."

It was with the utmost difficulty Grey could prevent himslf from betraying his conflicting passions. Now came peisonal anger against the young and determined baronet ; now despair at the thought of having Maud removed from his personal custody. Sir Alexander had certainly given him to understand that he, Grey, was to be guardian to the girl; and here was he, after all he had done nnd risked, after he had dy?d his hands in blood Bahl that kiud of thing would ddvu him mad. He must keep calm now if he did not wish to hang next mo: th.

The young man continued : " That twenty thousand I want for puttirjg this place to rights. I see already what 1 wish done to the grounds ; before I leave I shall know what I want done to the building and furniture."

" By-aud-by, I daresay," thought Grey, "you will find out what you want done with me."

The interview lasted little longer, and nothing of importance followed. As Grey went home that night he thought: " tie will be months away. I will be all these months here. Before- he can be back she shall be mine. I know it, I feel it. lam not very nice in the means I employ. She sha'l be urne before he re tarns by—some means orother."

CHAPTER V. THF INDEFINITE TRESENT.

Tub morning after the funeral Mrs Grant and Maud walked up and down one of the lrng. silent corridors for an hour. The evening before, when the widow and the young girl sat together in the firelight, Maud had told the "other the main features of the facts in the interview between herself and Sir William. Beyond expressing a guarded and general approval of tbe bironet, Mrs Grant said little. She had been too tired, and Maud too exhausted from fretting and anxiety, to allow of close

inquiry or elaborate statement. Now they were less fatigued, tha worst day of the bereavement hud passed, and they were quietly discussing matters.

"You know, Maud, my dear, no matter how kind Sir William may be to you, it will not do for you to forget Mr Grey," said Mrs Graut, very gravely. "You must not tbink of defying ;h<m going to law with him, ir anytbiigof that sort."

" Indeed, Mrs Grant, I am thinking of nothing of the kind," replied the girl, look ing with troubled eyes and anxious face at her only female friend.

"B cause you know," continued the woman, without heeding the interruption or the appealing face—" you know very well the Greys have servod the family faithfully for many years; and now the present Mr Grey bas sworn to serve you, and to take care of you, and be good and kind to yon ; aud I am sure he will; for though he is not such a gentleman by birth as your father or Sir William, still he's a most lespectable man."

The widow had the feminine irick of taking tie bit in her tnnuth and g log straignt on, no matter who pulled light or who pulled left,

"You may rely on my doing nothing of tbe kind. Hiw cm you think I would?" cried tha girl ferveutly.

"Yes, but you mustn't," rpeated the widow ver emeot'y, " You must not throw over the friend of yeais tor a maa ycu never saw until yesteiday."

"You ous;ht not to say I pm going to do anythi' g so wicked-indeed you ougbt'not. But remember the man 1 met for the first time yeste' day was my cousin, aud the head of the Midharts."

" Hut your father never liked him." "My poor father never knew him." " But he could have knowa him if he liked, and he didn't."

"That was prejudice."

"Maud !" cried the widow, in a tone of reproach.

ihe girl burst into tears. "I did not mean to say anything dis respectful ; but I can't boar to think my cousin insincere."

Mrs Grant pressed the girl in her arms, and said :

"You must not cry ; you mti3t not weep, my love. I did not'meau you had' been disrespectful to your father's memory. Heaven forbid ! But you (must not be too ha«ty, and like everyone at first sight. That will never do for a young heiress who has no right guardian." The girl oeas»d to weep, and said in an unsteady voice :

" But I never told you I liked him." "Youjdo like him, Maud; you know you do."

" How could I like him in one meeting ?" " But, Mauri, you do like him, and that is why I feel so uneasy." " Indeed I don't like him. lam afraid of him ; he makes me feel smaller and helpless, I never feel helpless when Mr Grey is near me, for he can always tell me what to do ; but I feel as if I must do what my cousin says, and af er only one meeting-, too. 1 was ashamed to conte<s this until you made me."

Her lum nous Cindid spirit looked out of the large soft eyes into the e^es of the woman.

Mrs Grant stole her arm round Maud's wais', aud for a while both walked oa in silence. At length Mrs tirant spoke : " I am glad to hear that." " To hear what ? ' asked Maud, in a tone of attraction.

" That you take no iutere3t in Sir Wil liam."

" What!" with a Btart. The eyes of the girl were once more fixed on the eyes ot the widow. " I did not say that. On the con trary, he does interest me."

Mrs Grant looked bewildered, and glanced helplessly around her, as if seeking someone to bear out what she was about to say.

" Why, child, you told me a moment ago that you did not like him, and that he frightens yon 1" "That is true, but a lion frightens me, and I can't say that I like lions ; but they interest me more than a King Charlie."

Maud smiled at the bewilderment of the other.

"But, my dear," said Mrs Grant, with a look of grave trouble in her eyes, '' what you say about lions and King Charlie is all nonsense. W rhen you have a King Charlie you play with him, and feed him out, of your hand. When you have a lion, you look at him through the bars of a cage. Besides, Maud, it is absurd and romantic to think of an English baronet as a lion. Sup pose he was a lion, and he got loose, what snould you do ?"

"Bun away as fast as I could,"answered the girl, with a faint laugh.

" But it he caught you ?" " Oh, if he caitght me I don't think I could do much."

" There now, Maud, I told you so." Mrs Grant had not told Ifoud anything about ber chance of not being abls, single handed, to defend herself against a lion. When she said, " I told you so," she had suddenly lo3t sight of the monarch of the forest, and come upon the mental inuge of the baronet of the Island, in whom this girl had admitted she took an interest, which, in the illustration afforded by the lion, proved to be full of the gravest danger.

Miss Midharst had forgotton the baronet in the allegory, and was thinking only of the lion ; so that when Mrs Grant triumph antly said, " I>old you so," Maud believed Mrs Grant was contemplating the same image as herself—that is, her own dis appearance down the lion's throat. So that Maud smiled and said :

"Fortunately there arc very few lion 3in this part of the world, and one very seldom gets 100-e." " On the contrary, there arc very many lions in this part of the country, and they all go about seeking whom they may devour."

Michael the servant entered, and an nounced, " Sir William Midharst aud Mr Grey." " You will see Mr Grey first, of course, Maud ?" said Mrs Grant, in a low voice.

Miss Midharst looked perplexed, and by way of reply said :

" Why ?'' "Oh, you will surely see your guardian before a man you met only yesterday." "Don't you think it would look strange, Mrs Grant, if I did not see my cousin be fore Mr Grey ?" " Certainly not. Mr Grey was appointed to take care of you. He has known you since you were a child, and you owe him every respect," said Mrs Grant, speaking so low that Michael could not hear. Her manner was very earnest.

" But Sir William is my kinsman, and, Mrs Grant, you and I are his guests in this place. You really would not havo the owner of this place wait while I, his guest, received even my guardian ? No ; my cousin must come first. Michael, ask Sir William to walk this way."

As soon as the door closed on the servant, the girl turned to Mrs Grant, and said : "Will you see Mr Grey and apologise for delaying him? Please do, Mrs Grant." As the new owner of Island Castle entered the room he met Mrs tsrant going out.

When greotings and ordinary formalities

had been disposed of, and the cousins were alone, the man spoke. ■ "I had an interview with Mr Grey yester day evening, and I am glad to say that I found him most reasonable and agreeable. 1 had two things to speak to him about, neither of which was likely to please him, and he behaved admirably." "I am sure the more you meet him tne more you will like him," said Maud, looking up thankfully to her cousin's face. She felt herself under a personal obligation to her cousin for his frank approval of so old and valuable a friend of her father and her self. The desiie to be governed, common to all women, had suddenly sprung up in her nature when her cousin spoke to her last eveuiug of hisclaims upon the guardian ship of his only consin, and she was now greatly relieved to find respect to the wishes of her father's successor did not clash with fealty to her father's only friend, one on whom she looked as having a strong claim upon ber regard and attention.

Sir Wiliiam did not seem to hear her woids. He was standing at the window lookins down on the Weeslade with dreamy inattentive eyes.

She was seated on a low chair at the other side of the window. Her eyes were timidly fixed on his face. He had come from Egypt, the land of the inexplicable Pyramids and the inscrutable Sphynx. To her this cousin William'a inner life was as dark a mystery as a riddle of the Pyramids, and h;s face as baflling as the face of the Spbyux. Until now she had heard men speak, and had attended to their words. When he spoko now she regarded less tbe words than tbe uuuttered thoughts attend ing upon them. The "How d'ye do?" of other men required only a straightforward an3wer,without thoughtbeyoudthe scope of the question^ The " How d'ye do ?" of her cousin came to her attended by veiled figures of strange aspect, that gave the simple question a volume and depth the mightiest questions never had before.

Was it because he who had been the ogre of her younger years had., become the protector ot her orphan maidenhood, and the air of the ogre still hung vaguely around him in her mind? Was it the influence of remote consanguinity operating, as blood does, between those of the same stock who have met for the first time when grown up ? Was it the background afforded by the Nile and the sacred crocodile, and tbe mysterious barren silent rows of tho Pyra mids, with those features of men and women lying hid iv folds of linen and layers of asphaltum, with, save the eyes, all the features, the lips that were kissed by lover or mother, still unchanged, still the same lip, the same dimple iv the cheek, the same curve in the temple, as when Thebes and Memphis conned the stars, the Paris and the London of three thousand years ago, and taught the world all the world knew?

Then before her mind rolled forth the plains of purposeless white sand, overhuuf by the plains of unbroken blue sky, and blaziog in the blue sky, the fierce sun. And here, against the homely sash of that old familiar window, that com monplace sash and frame, down which sho had seen the dreary rain of weary winter days slide to the sodden ground, he leaned ; on his face and hands the brown harvest of Egyptian sun°, in his dark eyes the strange knowledge of awful arts and rites wrought in labyrinth and in cave by Egypt's ancient priests, and iv his tones the softness of a land where no waves beat and no winds blow loudly enough to drown the timid whispers of a maid.

"Are you thinking of Egypt ?" she asked in a low voice.

"SXo. lam thinking of Maud," he an swered, without moving. Then ronsing from his reverie, he said : " Yes, Mr Grey was most agreeable last night, and I am sure we shall get on very well together. One of the things I had to speak to him about was a matter of business detail. The other, Maud, was of the first moment— the arrangement you and I came to yester day about my acting as your personal guardian."

"Whatdid he say about that?" asked Maud aloud. She thought he had not been thinking of Egypt. His mind had not been far away, as she had supposed, but close at home, near where they were, busy with thoughts of her. Was it strange a man who had that dark sad face, and those deep eyes, and those mystic memories, and so short a knowledge or her, should, while looking out of that old familiar window, think ot°her, who knew nothing of the world and was so commonplace ': Was that strange ? No doubt, in her, in thi3 secluded place, and with her hum-drum life, the objects enter ing into which were all around her clad in the threadbare interest of daily use, it was not strange that, being who he was and coming as he did, she felt a great interest in him. But that he should concern himself so much about her was inexplicable. Egypt had been to her, since first she knew how to hold a book, the land of her dreams. Her only wish for travel sprang from a desire to see the site and monuments of the race which gave the arts and sciences to Europe. And here waa her cousin William come back from that land, and while lost in a reverie which looked proper to the country of the Nile, thinking of her, Maud.

The young man paused awhile before answering her question. Still his face wore the same abstracted look as he replied : " At first Mr Grey seemed surprised and shocked. I think it appeared to him as if he bad been slighted. I intended no slight to him, and I don't think my manner showed anything of the kind, at all events, all went well, and he seemed quite satisfied once the first surprise had passed. How did he hurt h's knee, Maud?"

"I do not know. lam very sorry to bear he has hurt himself. When did it happen?" "He said some time ago. It gave him dreadful pain last evening. I never shall forget the shout it wrung from him. It was like the shout I once heard of a man who awoke in the jaws of a crocodile ?"

"I never heard anything about it. I hope it is not serious, and that all he has bren doing for us of late has not made It worse."

" I hope not. By-the-way, he is waiting to see you, Maud. Shall I tell him he may come up ? 1 have told some tradesmen to be here about this time. When you have finished with Mr Grey come into the court yard. I shall be there. I am going to have vases for flowers put up, ana I want to consult you about them."

He turned round and glanced down at her. The vacant look faded from his eyes, a deep gentleness stole into them, and from them spread like light over the rest of his features as he took her hand, and said, in a tone of deep solicitude :

" Are you always so white, Maud ? Are you sure you are well ?" " I am quite well," she answered, " You must not fret, dear Maud. I will send Mr Grey to you, You are more used to him than me. But you will get used to me some day very soon, won't you, child?"

"Yes."

" Mr Grey and I will take great care of yon, He shall act as my deputy while I am away, and when I come back I will take care of you. I will go now; I do not intend letting those tradespeople disturb anything for some time ; I only want to show them what I mean to have done,

For my sake, Maud, you will not brood Promise me that/ " I promise." " And you will show me where yon would like the vases placed ?" "Yes." . • He kissed her hand first and then her forehead, and left her.

CHAPTER VI. THE TYRANNICAL PAST.

When Mrs Grant went out of the drawing, room she sought aud found Mr Grey in the waiting-room off the grand entrance-hall Sbe closed the door, aud going up to th» banker iv haste said :.

'' K*!*^ to h, ave a few P'ivate words with you, Mr Grey."

"I am completely at your service, Mrs Grant, answered the bauker^in his most amiable manner.

He looked worn and haggard to-day. The strain was telling on him. He now knew what sleepless nights were, and days haunted by ihe phantoms of memory and slight rustling sounds of hideous import. He had learned to start suddenly and look hastily over hia shoulder, it was not the dread of the hangman disordered his peace but the faint rustle of a woman's dress* and the plunge into the darkness and the sense of suffocation under a burden, and tbe strange twanging ot the arteries in his temples.

" You know," began Mrs Grant in an excited manner, " that 1 love Miss Mid harst, and would do anything I could for her."

Mrs Grant had been very much shocked and excited by what bad pissed between Maud aud her about Sir William, and the excitement still survived.

"1 am quite confident cf that." answered the banker, with a grave look. He saw Mrs Grant had something serious to say.

" Will you promise me to keep what I say to yourself ?" she asked quickly. He paused awhile and looked down. "My position is peculiar," he'eaid. "Al though 1 am not Miss Midharst's guardian ia the usual signification of the Word, 1 really feel bound by my promise to Sir Alexander to do all I can for her, and that being so, I could not undertake to keep to myself anything which it might be to her advantage to disclose."

He said this in his most deliberate manner, and with his eyes fixed solemnly on the face of the widow.

"I know I may trust you, Mr Grey. My only reason for asking you not to speak is, that if you mentioned my name in the matter 1 should be in an awkward posittes-." "I promise you not to mention your name in connection with anything you may say to me."

"'l hat will do. I want to speak about Sir William Midharst."

" The new baronet 1" cried Mr Grey, with a start aud suddenly intensified in terest.

" Yes. Do you know anything of him ?"

"No. Nothing. He has not yet estab lished his identity, but there can be no doubt ho is tbe right man." "As what you have to say concerns him, and as I am under no pledge to guard his interests (though of course I should not *it still and see them injured), you may speak quite freely. I promise to mention what you say to no one."

They were i-ittiug by the table. As Mr Grey'spoke be drew his chair closer to hia companion'p, and, by his manner, showed he had sincerely resolved to respect her confidence, and attend roost caretully to anything she might say. " Havo y, v any idea that Sir William is in want of money ?' Mr Grey started. A more unexpected or disquieting question r.< uld hardly have been addre.'sed to him. This was the first time Mrs oraut had moniioncd tbe word money to him. and now she uttered it in connec tion with this young man who had already to a groat extent come between him and the heiress. He answered :

" I may tell you in .strict confidence he has applied to me for a large sum cf money, and of course I promised it. May I know your reason for asking?" " I'll tell you my reason by-and-by. The money he asked you for is not to come out of Miss Midharst's fortune '■"

Again Grey started. Then he knit his brows and braced himself together, and fixing his eyes resolutely on the carpet, an swered in a firm voice :

" >o ; I could not think of touching Miss Midharst's money for anyone but Miss Midharst- herself."

He aid his best to control himself, still at the words " but Miss Midharst herself" he shuddered. Had Mrs Grant discovered anything ahout tbe Midharst Consols ? She was the last person of his acquaintance he would imagine likely to come upon a clue to the fact. But no one could tell who might pick up the thread. If he bad known matters would take turns liice these, he should never have touched those Consols. He would have shut the door first What a fool, what a poor fool he had been not to h-»ve taken his mother's advice and shut the door. " But if he wants money he must be poor ?" "He will havo a fine income now." " Mi*s Midharst has a large fortune. Mr Grey." " Very largp." " And you are the guardian of it?" " Yes," What on earth ivifs she drivine at? B "Well, I think it is only right to tell you that 'f Sir William is in want of money which is not Miss Midharst's fortune, he will very soon be in want of the money which is." She rose and fixed her excited eyes upon him.

He rose too, passed his hand absently across bis brow, grew pale, and said in a voice of perplexity :

" I forget part ot it. I forget part of it. But you know I was looking at the Witch's Tower of the Castlo, the Tower of Silence, when the stenrnboat blew up."

"So I have heard," whispered Mrs Grant in a tone of awe. The change in his face was terrible.

•' And they never found the body of Bee. They never looked in the right place. It is on the top of the Tower of Silence, blown there when the boiler of the Rodwell burst. I saw the body blown up there through the smoke and steam."

"Mr Grey !Mr Grey ! are yon ill ?" said Mrs Grant, when she could find her voice.

Gradually the fixed look left his eyes, The hands, which had been feebly beating on the table, ceased to move, the sensation of tightness left his forehead, and pale and with a gentle sigh he sank on a chair.

"Are you ill, Mr Grey?" asked Mrs Gran*, in a less alarmed tone now that she saw his mind was clear again. He answered feebly :

" 1 have not been very well, and of late I suffer from sleeplessness, a very bad tbing for a business man, because when he lies awake at night he is always thinking of his business, and that wears one greatly. Did I faint ?"

"No."

" Pray do not ring. I am all right now. Ido not want anything. I foel quite well again. It was only a passing weakness. You would greatly oblige me if you will not

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JTJT.W Hit IBB.\

2