prison. I wish you had heard her yesterday, finding out all sorts of reasons why she and I had seen so little of each other, and all the time the one reason as palpable as it could be to both of us."

"Has she any idea why they are staying on?"

"No. I suppose he likes it'

66 Don't you tell her then!"

"Tell her? How can I? I don't know myself. What do you mean, Sauffrenden?" all eager and curious now. "What reason is there?"

"Nothing, nothing," shuffling uneasily in his chair.

66

Oh, there is, and you know it; I see you do. How could you keep it from me? Come now, you must tell me now. You must, and there's no escape; you must, you must," flying round him, brush in hand. "I have you here, caught, and pinned into a corner. help for it. Now then."

And he had meant to be so discreet !

Come, there is no

"I wish you wouldn't ask me, Milly; I may be all wrong. I know nothing about it. It's only Philip."

"Well, what about Philip? Philip is the very man for you; he acts pointer, and then you shoot."

"I

"I can act pointer for myself," said he, offended. should hope I am as good as Philip any day. He never discovers half the things I do."

66

'Yes, yes-I know. Now then, tell me this. What has Philip penetrated into this time-for you have owned yourself this is his affair?"

"He didn't want it spoken about," groaned he.

"You need not be afraid.

promise. There !”

Who have I to speak to? I

"Oh, hang it! you are such a creature for finding things out!"

"Yes, yes, I am," cried she, with the glee of a child. “I have found out the half already, now for the rest.'

There was no escape. Sitting in Milly's room by Milly's fire, in dressing-gown and slippers, how could he be anything but an easy prey?

He had done his best, and now gave in.

Philip's visit and Philip's surmises were unfolded; and however much the revelation might be softened by the veil of charity which the narrator endeavoured to throw over it,

it was still startling. The veil, stretched to its utmost limits, could not cover all; and while they were both agreed in sheltering Philip, they differed in the disposal of the rest. He would fain have hid the luckless T's, while she was more willing, or rather less reluctant to screen Colonel Aytoun.

She disliked Emmeline's husband, it is true, but had no past love of him, no present dread of him, to swell her dislike into detestation.

He was all that was bad, she admitted, but one thing more or less matters little when a man is all that is bad; and the first flush of her wrath fell on the Tolletons.

me.

"I knew they had stayed at the Abbey. Emmy told She would not even see them, Sauffrenden! She was in her room at the time, but not exactly ill, only kept quiet; and if it had been any one else she would have been only too glad to have had a little company. She was actually sending for her, when Egerton himself advised her not. At least, he spoke in such a way of her that it was quite enough. Yet they stayed a whole fortnight! Of course it was dreadful for Emmy."

"Of course it was. But all the same he took a very easy way of keeping her out of his wife's room.”

"Yes; any one could tell that was what he wanted. But no nice girl would have done it.”

"Milly, I am not defending her. I never said she was a nice girl, but she was a mere child, and left all to herself.” "Her father was with her."

"You know what he is."

"I do not indeed; I know nothing about him."

"He is the most perfect nonentity. A man like Aytoun would twist him round his finger. I do think you are rather hard on those poor girls, Milly. I do indeed, dear." This tone always brought Milly to her better mind.

"Do you think I am hard, you dear old fellow! You are so good and nice yourself—I love you all the better for it but indeed you are too—at least I cannot see things exactly as you do. This Helen Tolleton is no child now; she is at least as old as I am

"She is only twenty-one."

"Well, that is but a year younger; though how you came to know it I cannot imagine."

66

Oh, I always know people's ages."

"Does Philip find them out for you too?"

"No indeed; it is I who find out for myself. What puts Philip into your head at every turn?"

66

Only that I fancied he was very likely to know Miss Tolleton's age."

"That is a mistake, Milly. He doesn't care twopence about her. I have told you so over and over again. He thinks of them exactly as we do."

"But we do not think exactly alike.” Sauffrenden looked disturbed.

"I'm sure we do, dear. We do not either of us like them; but I think, and so would you if you thought about it, that in good hands they might be made something of yet."

"But how are they to get into good hands?"

("Mr Smith's hands," thought he, "they could get into fast enough, if they only were let alone.")

"Now you see," pursued Milly, "here is this Egerton finds them out at once. That won't enhance their good reputation."

66

No. That is the way of the world, and more particularly the way of the women's world, my dear. A blackguardly fellow goes and calls. The girls are cold to him and snub him, and show him they wish to see his face no No harm is thought of him; but they-oh! it was shocking of them!"

more.

"I should think it was harm enough of him that it should be thought shocking of them," said she, nettled. "There you are-you always catch one up so. Now I bet you a sovereign they give him the cold shoulder next time he goes. Philip said he was certain from Helen's whole manner that she wished to have done with him." "And what is the reason of this change of manner?" "Just what I said. She was a mere child at the Abbey and thought it was good fun to romp with him. Now, she knows better. I mean to go down to the meadows tomorrow, and watch what goes on."

Thus he had closed the conference, and prepared for himself a charming little entertainment at the same time.

So contrary, however, did things turn out on that occasion, that he prudently resolved to say nothing about it on his return from town, and trust to the subjects being forgotten.

He had seen Colonel Aytoun accost the sisters on their first appearance, and he and Philip had looked into each other's faces when immediately afterwards they descried him on the way to Freelands. She had remained at home, and he had gone to see her.

Determined not to be left alone after dinner with the obnoxious guest, and unable to run away like Sauffrenden, Philip had hit on the happy idea of Mr Smith, whom the Admiral had lately captured for the fourth time. He made in to the rescue, extracted the prey, and obtained as his reward the coveted invitation.

Lord Sauffrenden told one of his men to let the ladies know, and desired Captain Wellwood to name the hour he would be sent for.

"Why should he be sent for at all?" interposed Mr Smith. "Why should he not keep me company for a day or two while you are away? I am alone. I need him. Come, Captain Wellwood, show yourself good-natured, and have pity on a lonely man."

Philip hesitated.

"You are his only check," said Sauffrenden, in a low voice.

"You are awfully good; but I think, and Lord Sauffrenden thinks, perhaps we can hardly both leave Colonel Aytoun," said Philip to Mr Smith. "He knows he is no Mrs Aytoun

favourite already, and it might seem rude. might think it rude.”

"Very true," said Mr Smith, hastily. The allusion to Mrs Aytoun pleased him.

"The fact is," said Philip, looking him full in the face, 'they are friends of yours, so you know all about it; one could not put up with him a day, if it were not for his wife."

"And you see," added his friend, growing still more confidential, "it's rather shabby to leave Wellwood alone; but I can't stand it any longer. So, if you would go up there to-morrow, and make a third, instead of his coming to you, it would really be awfully kind. But I'm afraid. would hate it." "Certainly I will go. But to be as frank with you as you are with me, Colonel Aytoun is no friend of mine." "Of course he is not, sir," said Lord Sauffrenden, warmly. "No one would ever suppose that he could be.

you

The greatest beast I ever knew in my life. His very being in a house brings it into bad odour. The moment it was known he was here we got nothing but excuses from everybody. Spoilt our whole party and everything. But-well, his wife is my wife's cousin, and, poor thing, a sad time she has of it at home, so we ought not to grudge her a holiday. They may stay as long as they like; but I won't have my sister here with them, and that's why I am going up to town. What is his inducement to stay, I am sure I cannot imagine."

It was one of Lord Sauffrenden's peculiarities that whenever he was nervous, or taken by surprise, he, in the common phrase, lied like a hatter. Nothing could stop him, and nothing could cure him, for he did it spontaneously and unconsciously.

It had just occurred to him to wonder what Mr Smith would feel if he discovered, or even suspected, the object of Colonel Aytoun's present pursuit ; and being immediately thrown into confusion by the idea, he took as naturally to subterfuge as a rabbit to its hiding-place.

Philip understood, and it amused him. But the smile died away from his lips as he saw that Mr Smith looked impenetrably grave.

He had guessed the inducement.

CHAPTER XXIII.

AFTER DINNER.

MR SMITH had asked the curate to join him and Philip at dinner, but the invitation had been reluctantly declined. Mr Rodney would have liked very much to accept, but it was Wednesday, and he never dined out on Wednesdays. The two gentlemen were therefore alone.

Dinner being over, they drew their chairs round a blazing and crackling wood-fire; having a small table, with the decanters on it, between them. It was very comfortable, very quiet, very warm; and, to tell the truth, the wine was very good.

Two more temperate men-temperate in neither going to