THE WEIRD SISTERS

A KOMA.KCE,

By KICHARD BOWLING,

Authok of " The Mystkrx op Killard."

PART III: HUSBAND AND WIFE.

CHAPTER IV. BETWEEN THE LIGHTS. The day Henry Walter Grey bade good-bye to the young baronet he went home to the Manor House in the best spirits That latest stroke of his bad proved marvellously successful. In fact, the result completely astonished vim. Sir William had been civil, polite, conciliatory to him up to that last interview. During it the young man had thrown aside all reserve and iushed into his arms with enthusiasm. This young man, of whom he had stood in dread a few days ago, bad been not only neutralised, but converted into a friend. And at what cost! The voluntary promise that he, Grey, would take no steps about the will uutil ttie return of tbe head of the house. What a transcendent joke ! There was nothing like it on the stage. Nothing approicuint; ir. He had woo the young man by undertaking not to invest money alieady stolen and made away with ! And how had he done it ? Not by worrying and sneaking and :>hivering and anticipating all kinds of evils; not by thinking and attending to his own fears and hopes connected with matters which bad been done and could not be uudoue. No : tout by thinking of what otber people might do adverse to him, and trying to out manceuvre them. The general who, upon hearing the euemy is advancing, does nothing but contemplate t!ie honors of defeat, will inevitably be defeated. It ia with matters of business a* with a general in the field —to provide again=t nothing but defeat is to ensure defeat and final disaster. To dread a disease is to open the door for its reception. Away then for ever with doubts and fears !He was still a player in the s>a<ne. It was a game of skill, and he must win. The way to win is never to think of your self or of the result of wiuuing or losing, but to concentrate every human iaculty upon the game itself, and ihe plans for effecting the defeat of your oppouents. And now how did his great gamo staud ? Let him see. Sir William Midharat would be away in Egypt some while, some months, say three to four months, during which time it was necessary to win, by any means he could employ, this girl Maud. He was the guardian of her fortuue and the super intendent of works abouc to be carried on at the Castle. This gave him not an excuse so much as a command to be fre quently there. Thus he should have excel, lent opportunities of pressing his suit. He was to coosalt Miss Midh.ar.-t upon altera tions, ct cetera ; and that supplieu toe meaus ot obtaining frequent and long interviews with her in which they should often be alone. Good, very good 1 He felc strong and healthy and capable. His illness had cleared away the confusion which had been gathering around liim ; he slept better of nights, ana awoke cheerful, wble knew he be ablu to interest Maud, and to interest a woman is to win her. Those solemn, lanK, poetical men, like the new.baronet, took such a, time to make up then minds, that a man ot sanguine tempera ment like himself won a womun betore one like Sir William determined ou the first sigh. Girls don't like sigus ; they prefer laughter. Good ! Tho Bank was all rijiht vow, and when he had married Maud there was no one to come and pry into matters, Kvey one would think by his marriage with her he had ac quired upwards of haifa million ; anu far a man in his position to have the reputation of riches is almost as good us to uave riches. Splendid 1 He had provided against iujury arising out of tbat a.ile of the lease and furniture and annuity. He had not been in a position to resist his mother, tie knew that, having made up her mind to sell, she would sell? no matter what it cost her feelings, ishe would threaten to denounce him rather tuan be baulked in doing what he i-uppoaed she Intended with the money. He did not think she would have gone the length of denounc ing him. She had done worse. She had shown herself indifferent to anything he might have to say. She could not know bat that letter of his told her he uad paid back all the money, or that it con taiaed a plea for a short respite. She had not cared what happened to him ; and he —he had taken meaus to protect himself. He did not feel angry with her in the least. He had simply cut her off from his mind. There was no such person any longer. That returned letter informed him of her death. Those documents he had signed for her were announcements of her decease. That auction bell would ring for the interment of the past and the future which had of late given him tiouble. With her went every thing he loved. He was alone now, face to face with his fate, and free from any unmannina influence or depress ing consideration. This was b;sc of all ! As to the other and greater danger, that was scarcely worth counting. So far there had not been the shadow of menace. Farleg had, no doubt, got out of the coun try, and was now settled with his wife some where out West. No reason existed for sup posing Farleg would betray him ; for he had taken hush money, and no reward had been offered, as nothing had beensu-pected. .No; ne_ need not fear tbat source. Only one thing remained to be done. He hai shaken off thosa superstitious terrors wtiich had haunted him for n while. He was still menaced by the cancelled paaea iv London ; tbat was the ouly danger ahead. All his energy for the future should be directed towards avoiding the cou sequences ot his theft. The day Sir William left Daneford, Grey spent at the Bank. His private.correspond eece and such account books as he himself kept, to which no one but himself had access, were in arrears, and had; to be brought up to the current day. He had to give a long audience to Mr AldridßO, and several merchants wanted to see him, so that the hoars were fully occupied, and when he got home he felt tired ; it was dark, and he resolved not to go to the Island until the early part of the next afternoon. When next day he got to the Castle, he found Mrs Grant in the great hall about to go oat. " I am&cky to meet you, Mrs Grant. If yon are nSt in a great hurry I should like a law words with yon," " Certainly, Mr Grey ; I shall be moat happy. lam going to towu for a tew things Miss Midharst and myself want. I have not been out since poor

Sir Alexander's death; bat I'm in no hurry." They were now ia the open air. " I hope Miss Midharst is quite well ?" " Quite well, thank you." " And not pining after her handsome Cousin ?" with a gay smile. " Handsome ! Vo yon, too, think him handsome ?" " Yes. But who else thinks him good looking I" with a still brighter smile. " Miss Midharst says he is one of the handsomest men she ever saw." 11 Upon my word I am iuclined to bulieve with her." This was accompanied by the brightest smile of all. "It is useful to know what she thinks of her cousin's ap pearance,'1 thought «rey gravely. " Well, Mr Grey, I can see nothing handsome about him. I like an English man to look like an Englishman ; but I forgive him hi* looks because of his good behaviour. Nothing could have boen belter than his conduct from first to last. He makes Miss Midharst stay here ; he promises to do up the Castle and grounds ; and last of all, Mr Grey, he speaks or you before he goes away iv words which do him credit." 'Indeed !" " Yes. Nothing could have been more manly than the way he spoke his mind to Miss Midharst and myself about you the other evening, the last day you were here. I don't think he liked you at first; but he made up for that at last. Nothing could be better than what he said." "I am glad to find he does not mis understand me." These were two useful and significant facts : that Maud thought her cousin good-looking, and that her cousin had been favourably impressed by him. "Mrs Grant," he said, after a pause, "you said you were going to town to buy some things for yourself and Miss Midharst." "Yes." " Will you have the goodness to put this parcel in your purse ? It is what you are entitled to under the will of Sir Alex ander," He held out his haud to her with a bundle of notes. " I really don't want it now, Mr Grey," she said, remembering what Sir William had told her. They had already reached the Eerry flip. He held out his hand to her. hhe held out the notes to him. He smiled, shook his head, shrugged his shoulders! and said : "Give me your hand only. I want to help you into the boat, Pat that bundle in your pocket. I hope you do not think I want it. " He handed her into the boat, raised his bat, and when the ferryman had pulled a dozen strokes from the slip, raised his hat again and turned towards the Castle. As he walked he thought: "That is not the worst investment I ever made. Prompt payment and attention go a Ion" way with women -who are no longer young. Now for a woman who is youn" and charming." " " What an agreeable man Sir William is 1 said Grey, when he had been some time seated with Maud. "So affable, good-natured, and amosing. He is one of the most pleasant young men I ever met." "I am glad you like him," said Maud, a little surprised. " Like him! Of course I do. He ia a man after my own heart. So open-minded and full of go, of animal spirits. You very seldom find a man who has been lone out of Europe retain his animal spirits. The in habitants of Asia and Africa are always afraid of sunstroke or snake 3, tigers or tyrants. Ia the tropics no one everTmakes a joke. Life is always serious there. Who ever heard of an Kastern Jos Miller? No • they have proverbs and poetry, but no' jokes. Wnen you are always expecting to find a snake coiled round the leg of the table, or ao. official waiting outside the door with a drawn sword to cut off your head you are^afraid to laugh. Now what I ad mire most in Sir William is that, although he has been long in Africa, he has kept his animal spirits unimpaired. Isn't it a great blesainu ?" " Yes." answered Maud, in amazement. " I know it is not what very straitlaced people would like, but the views he holds of all serious things are most diverting, I am very sorry I had to go away while he was here. It is such a privilege to meet a man like him-a man of the world who knows everything, and can laugh at the weaknesses and lollies of the world, under which heads of weaknesses and follies he classes much of what saug respectability calls the Generous and Noble Aspirations of Men. I will not say I hold his views, but I hold my sides when he tells them. Bid you hear any of his stories ?" "No, Mr Grey," answered Maud, ready to cry. Was there really this other, this li«ht and frivolous side to her cousin's chaiacter? She could hardly believe it Yet here was Mr Grey telling her about it", and no one could think of doubting Mr lirey'a word. "Ah ! Quite so. Ye*. It Is likely he thought you might not care for them. They might seem profane to you. I have boen mo3t unwise. I felt sure he had told them to you. He might be displeased with me if he knew I had mentioned them to you. Will you promise not to allude to them when you speak or write to him ? I daresay he will write to (you, and you will write to him." " Ho promised to write, and I promised to write to him." What a revelation was in the banker's words ! Could it bo her cousin had two sides ? If it was so, where did the in sincerity end? This was a miserable dis covery after she had lifted him up in her mind as a. perfect model of what a inau should be. "Of course you will write to your guardian and your only cousin ; but mind you are not to say anything about what I havo been saying to you. 1 should not mind speaking of it to him in your presence but a ttiing of that kind in black and white looks very bad. Have you hoard from him yet ?" " Ye* ; I got a note saying he was about to set oil. It was written yesterday." Her face looked wan and weary It was diaon chanting to hear all this of Cousin William. How could It be? "A bad sign. A verybadsign," thought the banker. But we must be a match for him. We must be a match for him. No precaution shall be neglected." Then he said aloud :"I shall be very often at the Caetle now ; for not only shall I have to come and see you, but I am also to look after tbe workmen for Sir William, so that I fear you will have to make up your mind to endure a great deal of me." "I shall be very glad to see you every day. but I think you are doing too much for me—for us," "Miss Midhar3t, you must understand once for all that there is absolutely notbing in my power I am not anxious to do for you personally." He said this with great emphasis and precision, raising his right hand slightly to wards the ceiling while he spoke, as though calling Heaven to witness hia words. She did not know what to say. There was an earnestness in his manner forbidding commonplace thanks. ' 11 is face suddenly lightened. " I was about to say that either I or a

messenger from the Bank will be here every day, and whoever comes can take any orders you and Mrs Grant m»y have for town, itus will save Michael's going in so often. I will get you a letter-bag. You shall keep one and I the other, so there will be no danger of letters getting lost. In old times Michael was, of course, as safe as the post: but now we shall h*va comparative strangers —clerks and so oq—whose honesty has not been so well tried as Michael's. Soon he took his leave. Wext day he did not call, but a clwk came wifh a letter b*s; and a key. There was nothing in the b»g. Miss Midharst h»d no letters.- One from Mrs Grant went back to town. That was all. When the clerk got to the Bank, he handed the bag to the banker. The banter «jpe«eu it, glanced »t the one letter it contained, smiled, put Mrs Grant's among his own letter? for post, aud whispered to himself : " Everything is fair in love and war. If this bad beea .Mauds I should have had lust one peep." Now he began to visit the Castle almost daily. The men had not yet been set to work, but already the furniture makers and upholaterers were busy in the work shops. Hangings had been ordered at P*ris; designers were carrying out plans for restoring the great banqueting-hali to its olden splendour ; brass-founders were casting fittings; and gardeners had m.pected the grounds with a view to »scei taining their capabilities. Al first Grey m?de it a point not to pee Maud every time he called. By the end of a month he was at the Island six days ont ot tho seven, and never left without seeing her. During that month she had twice written to her cousin. He had carried the letters from her to the Bank, and there opened and read them. He^ closed them and sent them on. There had been nothing par ticular in either, beyond copious praise ot Grey's great kindness to her, and his ceaseless attention to the business of her cousin. So far all went well. He continued in good spirits, and the people of Daneford said he had never looked better or seemed gayer. His mother's place had been sold out, and she had gone he Knew not whither. ■' That is all the better," he thought. " The stage is clearer, and nothing remains to distract my attention from the main thing." He had been very cautious in his inter views with Maud. He had said or done nothing which could give her a hint of his aim. He had beea good-humouredly and sedulously careful to do all she wished as she wished it done. He had taken her and Mrs Grant for drives in quiet country places, where tbe freshness ot their mourn ing would be free from observation and re mark. On these occasions, although Ma ad occupied the seat of honour, he was more attentive to her companion. But tbe time for winning had a limit, and at the end of the first month he gradually changed his manner. When they met he gazed into her eyes longer and with more interest than of yore. He pressed her hand more warmly, and re tained it longer. His voice, when he -poke to her, was lower and softer. His solicitude for her health gained daily, and when they walked out into the grounds together, he chose for her the easiest ways, and showed his anxiety that her feet should not touch the wet grass, or the ragged bramble 3 her face or figure. He prolonged his visits. He always found an excuse for getting her out into the grounds, or into some room where for a time they might be alone. When part ing from her, he would say, if no one was by: "I am sorry I must leave now. 1 am sorry I am obliged to go back to Daneford and that lonely Manor, I wish I could stay here." And she would say : " I am sure, if you will stay, Mm Grant will make you comfortable. But you lo<e too much time for us." He would answer : " No. Ch, no, de*r Miss Midharst. The only pleasant time I have now is when I am here, in your society, trying to make this place better for you." Then he would say good-bye impressively and move off with a dejected look, and turn round, when he had taken a few paces, and wave his hand to her in a way that said : •• Do not grieve because lam sad. lam nobody." This manner set the girl pondering, and she said to the widow one day : •'Mrs Grant, I think living all alone in that house, where his wife was once, is bad for Mr Grey." " There is no doubt of it, my child. It will kill him, lam sure. He ought to marry again soon," "Marry again soonl" cried the girl in snrnrise. The idea that he might marry ag.'ia had never suggested itself to her mind, and it stemed very wonderful. " Yes, my dear. He's a young man. A much youuger much than many men of thirty." " 1 know he is very amusing, bat I had never before thought of Mr lirey marrying again." To Maud the idea was not only novel, but a little shocking at first. She had been in the habit of clawing him with her father. Now for the first time she nad come to think of him as a man who was not nearly so old us her father, but relatively young. «ll at once the recent change in his manner towards her struck her, and, little as had been her experience of the world, or her knowledge of its ways she could not but see a desire on Mr Grey's part to be particularly agreeable to her. This, coupled with the fict that she could no longer regard him as a man, tha events of whose life were merely awaiting the final audit to be posted into tbe eternal ledger, made her feel an awakened interest in him. He was a new man, an iudividuality hitherto unexplored. Another thing struck hec at the same time. Her cou9is, whom sbe had taken ai a grave, serious-miuded, cliivalric soul, turned out to have two sides to his character. When not with her, he could be light, trivial, profane. The banker also had two sides to his character. Ho was robust, honest, jovial, in general. But at home sorrow and lone liness were eating him away in the house where once ho had been happy with the wife so suddenly taken from his side. What a strange discovery 1 Were all men who were not as old as her father double-sided like these? She should not like to ask even Mrs Grant that question. Then what a contrast did these two men afford : the one assuming or wearing natu rally towards her the manner of earnest collectedness, while towards others he showed questionable levity; the other show ing her a steady brightness, while in reality his heart was consumed by a great sorrow I Were all men liko these? How woaderful it seemed 1 The contrast revealed to her by these two men first aroused Maud Midharst to perceive men's minds and ways differed widely from the minds and ways of women. Of old she had known mea were Btronger than women, had greater capacity for affairs, more knowledge of tho world and more wisdom. Until now she had never

reached the fact that there were in the miads of men faculties differing from those of women, sot only in quality and intan sity, but also in kind. Instantly her wonder at the superiority of mea Iff c her. ■She no longer felt astonished at disparity between mental faculties common tj men and women. She suddenly awakened to a cariosity never felt before. She was now in terested in all things which enabled her to discover where the thoughts of man differed from tbe thoughts of women. When she had heard her cousin sper.k on the day her father was buried, she had felt surprise and iuterest. What he said had given her » pleasant shock. Now sha had gone a post farther on the greet road of lifu. ■She had learned to speculate. OSAPTE* V. " A WOMAN OF MO NAME." O»e day when Maud was sitting alone in the library by the fire reading, a servant entered with word that a lady who declined giving any name wished to see Mica Mid harst. hhe was, the servant raid, a thin, tall, old l»4y, drosaed is black. J>o ladies called at the Castle. What could this woman want 1 Maud wondered. Who could she be ? A tall, thio, old lady, dressed in black Had she asked by name for Miss Midharat ? " Yes; she said she wanted to see Miss Midharst. I- aiktd her would Mrs Grant do, and she aaid, No, she wanted to site Miss Midaarst alone," " Alon»?" " -^lone." Who could it be ? The last person who had asked to »cc her and declined to give a name was William. (She. would write to William to-day and tell him what she thought. It was a strange thing for her to have to write to him. But sh« did not know what to do. William was her only friend. She was afraid to speak to Mis Grant about it. If she mentioned the matter to Mrs Grant, no one could tell buu it might get back to Mr Grey's ears, and that would never do, Never.) An, the servant is waiting yet. " Where is the lady 2" "In the hall-room, madame " "Tell her I will come to her at once." Maud rose slowly and put down her book. As she moved along the corridors, she thought: " This is most unpleasant, it is terrible. My father is not yet two months dead, and Mr Grey's manner frightens me. At first I did not notice it, but now—now I can have no doubt, lie has not said anything plain yet, bat he can mean nothing else. He en: is me Maud, and not Miss Midharst. He takes my hand, too, when we are alone, and looks in my eyes and frightens me. His eye3are queer. When ha is looking at me ho seems suddenly to forget who 1 am or where he is. It is only within the past week I noticed this; and yesttrday he looked at me with those awful eyes, and begged me to be good to him and come, for God's sake, and take the thing away from the dark passages and doorways. Then he asked me if I smelt blood, ana burst out laughing, and said all this was part of a play he was writing. Judas Iscariot, the haro of his play 1 What a horrible thought t" She reached the hall-room. It had long been used by the family as a breakfast parlour when few guests were at the Castle; for many years it had been made a waiting-room. Maud opened the door and entered, The day was cold, and she directed her Rlance first toward tho fire. No one was there, but she saw standing with her back to the window a tall, thin, old woman. The stranger did not move. She fixed her ayes on Maud, and stood staring at the girl. Maud moved slowly and timidly up the room. When within a couple of yardß of the other she said : "I am Miss Midharst. You wish to see me. Will you not take a chair near the fire ?" " Yes, I wanted to sea you, I want to see you." She did not move. tier voice was firm and hard, with a tone of menace in it. "I—l cannot recall your face, and the servant did not bring your name." "We never met before. The servant did not bring you any name, for I have none, i am a woman of no name." " A woman with no name I" cried Maud, with a feeble attempt at a smile. There was no provocation for smile* in the words or manner of the unknown, and Maud felt uneasy. " Yes ; I once had an honourable mmn, and was connected with Honourable people who bore it. But that name was dis honoured by one who owned it, and the name died. My name would not live dis honoured." The voice was firm and hard still, and the original pose unbroken. "I am sorry for that," murmured Maud, not knowing anything else to say. What a contrast between this unknown viiitor and the former I And yet, although a strong contrast appeared, there was a subtler similarity. " And I am sorry for yon." Maud started and repeated : " Sorry for me 1 Why are you sorry for me 1" "Became yen are young. I used once, until lately, to think it a privilege to be young ; now I consider it a privilege to be very old or dead." Maud felt more and more uncomfortable. This vai not a cheerful way of looking at things. Maud had quite enough unpleasant matters to occupy her mind, and she was quite unstrung. What business had this woman with her? She would try. Sbe spoke somewhat tremulously : " Can I be ef any ua« to you ?" "No. Nor can Ibe of much to you." "Tome!" said Aland in surprise. "I hope no one has been asking you to do any thing unreasonable for me. Of course, as I did not know you until now, and never heard your name, you will excuse my not thanking you for what you may have done for me." " I have done nothing for you but evil." "Jsvil ! I assure you you must be mi*. taken. No one has done me harm, as far as X know." " But there may be evil you do not knew of," and I may have been the inno cent cause of it." " But if you were innocent you must not trouble yourself about it; and besides, whatever the harm was, it has not hurt me, so that you must make your mind easy." " The evil may be done, and yet unfelt, and may bs felt later on, and the evil may not be done yet.' 1 " I do not clearly understand you." "I do not intend you should. Ido not know why I have spoken so much. I cannot say more I have merely called to deliver into your hands a parcel of some conse quence. The contents of this parcel is yours. -I said I cannot do much for yon. I can do no more than give you this. You must promilse me uot to open this parcel until to-morrow morning. You need not be afraid of it. The things in it ate good things. You promise?" The woman hold out her hand with a small parcel in it, "Yes," answered Maud, taking tbe parcel. At that moment .the door opened, and a \ voice said :

"I best your pardon, Mias Midharst • I did not know there was anyone here." Maud turned round and saw Henry Walter Grey smiling and bowing in the doorway. With the handle of the door still in his hand, he took a backward step.. when the old woman said : " Come iD. I have finished with Miss Midharst." " At the sound of the voice Grey sprang back a step, thrust his head forward, and uttered a low cry of snrpriee and pain. JMaud moved towards him, saying : " Are you ill, Mr Grey ? Are you ill?" Hia face was shrivelled and hia mouth hung open. Bafore Maud could take another step the hand oi the old woman was on her shoul der, and the voice of the old woman was in ner «ar, firm and hard as before : "Remember your promlte 1 Good bye." With erect bead, bright eyas, and a quick step, the stranger walked to the door, on the outside of which Grey stood paralysed. He bowed and groaned as she approached, and as she passed him he croucbbd against the wall. She swept by him without looking at him, turned the corner of the corridor, and passed out of tight. Maud, transfixed with amazement, stood where the old woman had arrested her. When the stranger had disappeared. Grey made a prodigious effort, shook him self,assumed aßickly smile, andstraigluened hia figure. The action of the banker dissolved the stupefaction of the Rirl, and sho moved rapidly towards the door to escape. Jast as she reached it the manner of the man suddenly changed. His face became dark and threatening, and he bounded into the doorway, barring the exit and crying : " Stop 1 I must speak with you before you leave the room 1" The girl recoiled ia terror, and began, with " Mr Grey I" in a tone of fear an& expostulation. " Go back. I say I must speak with you before you leave this room !" She struggled with herself for a moment, and then summoned courage enough to begin with : " By what right, Mr Grey " " Uy any ri«ht or by any wrong you must spaak with me. Do I look like a child, or a fool, or a woman ?" His manner was vehement and over powering. For an instant she resolved to defy him, but by a powerful sweep of his arm he indicated that denial was out of the question. With a palpitating heart and confused head she stepped back into the room. Ho followed her and locked the door. When she heard him do this her strength gave way altogether, and she sank on a chair. He walked up and down the room some time before he spoke. "Tell me, what did that wretched woman say to you ? What was her busi ness with you? What brought her " She told me she had wronged me inno cently." " How?" " She would not say." "What do yon mean, girl? Do you dare to till me she said she had wronged you and did not tell you how ?" He drew up in front of her chair. "Yea." " Is that a He ?" " Is what a lie 1" " Have yon, girl, told me a lie '" "Mr Grey, 1 " "Girl, l will have no pretty sentiments I lam talking business now. Such business as you nevt-r even heard of. Yon may not know the results hanging on your woras. Did that wretched woman tell you the in". juries she h,id done you ?" "Shu did not." Maud felt she should faint. " Listen to me now, girl ; this is busi ness. Attach ten thousand times more value to the answers you are going to make me than to any other answers you gave in all your life. My question is : What names did she montion?' " iVonc. She mentioned no name." " Absolutely and literally no name !" " She mentioned no name." " Not even her own ♦"' " Not even her own." "But you know, of course, who she is?" " I never saw her before. Ido not know who she is." " The sarvants know her name." "Jordan told" me a lady wished to see me ia private. He did not know her name." " Are you suro of all thU?" " Yes." " What was her business with you ?" " She left me that packet on the table." " Did she say nothing about it ?" "That it oontained something of mine, and that I was not to open it until to morrow morning." "Is that all?" "That is all." " Swear it to me." "Mr Grey 1" " I knew ; bnt swear all the same." " I will not." "Then you have been lying." " I have not. How dare you say such a thing, Mr Grey I" " Well, there,.Maud, dear Maud, let us drop the comedy. lam afraid I have car rlwd it too far nlready. You know really who the poor crea»uro is ?" " I have told you I do not." "Shais a harmless old woman who is mad on nligion, and goes about doini; thi9 kind of thing, and leaving bundles of tracts like this." He took up the parcel off the table. "She must not be allowed in here again. I will give orders that she shall not be admitted. Aad now cau you guess the reason for my comedy ?" " I cannot." ", It was, dear Maud, because I heard to day there is some chance of the will being disputed, and I wantud to try now you would p>o throu«h the ordeal of a severe cross-examination. And I must say any thing to equal my Maud's admirable cool nets I never saw. You did uot for a moment fancy I was ia earnest ?" "I don't know what I thought, I was greatly frightened." " Well, I admit I did go too far. But it was in your own interest, dear Maua—in your own interest. You are all right again, dear Maud." He took her hand in his. " I feel a little nervous and hysterical. Please open the door and let me go." " Certainly ; it was carrying the joke too far to lock the door ; but I was borne away by the spirit of the thiug. You will for pive me." " On, yes." 11 Well, dear Maud, good-bye now. You. are leaving your parcel of tracts behind you, Never mind ; I'll read them for you." When she had left the room he took up the parcel, dropped it into his pocket, and started at once for the city. That day Maud wrote to her cousin, Sir William Midharsr. The concluding para graph of her letter ran thus : " I do not know what is the matter with Mr Grey ; his manner terrifies me. If you. can, come back at once." (To be Continued.)

STAB SATUBDAY SUPPLEMENT, AUGUST 11, 1885.

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