died of the fever. That was my own little nephew, Francis Cowling. I have lied to your master, I know, but 'twas merely a white lie, and I pray God not to punish me for that!"

Then George Curtis spoke, with all the solemnity he could throw into his words, all the canting hypocrisy which draws a gloomy face over a light heart, all the specious, cold indifference, which provokes a fiery retort or solemn asseveration

"Mrs. Cowling-is this so ?"

"As I hope for mercy at the day of judgment, it is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!" she replied, with a voice so earnest in its tone, so impressive in its delivery, that he could not disbelieve her. "It is as I have said, if not, may I never stir from this room, nor rise alive from this settle."

George Curtis leant forward and wiped the perspiration from his forehead; and as he did so, the light from the flickering embers of the fire fell full for an instant upon his features, and revealed to his companion the glowing expression and radiant defiance of some internal con

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15

sciousness at that moment absorbing and paramount. Was it the vindictive glow of gratified malice, or the flush of an arduous triumph that she deciphered there? Unfortunately for George Curtis's designs, it was the latter, according to her interpretation. There he was, taking a mean advantage of her impotence, and lording it imperiously over her shattered will; and this discovery wrought an instantaneous change in her whole demeanour. Facing him with an angry look, she sternly demanded—

"Why have you fooled me in this way, young man? I see it all, and you have been acting a part!"

"I wanted to know something from you, Mrs. Cowling," he retorted, with the smile of triumph unrepressed upon his lips; "and I have found it out by taking a leaf out of your own book. It was only a white lie, remember!"

"A white lie or a black one," she blurted "'tis one for which you will have to answer

out;

before long."

"Now don't be savage," he expostulated; "you gave me a hard fight before I wormed it out of you."

"A hard fight, indeed!" and she repeated the words with ineffable disgust. "An old woman like me hasn't her wits about her! Twenty years agone, and I should like to see you imposing on me in this fashion! Now I know my man, however, I am better prepared.

And indeed she fully proved herself to be so, for all Curtis's endeavours to make her renew the subject and extend her revelations, were thoroughly abortive. Expostulations and entreaties, threats and promises, were equally futile. She was proof against one and all of them, and when after reiterated and well-sustained attempts to shake her determination, Curtis withdrew for the night discomfited and foiled, he cursed the exuberant spirits which had betrayed him. He is not the first beagle who has lost his game by over-running the scent, and being unable to hit it off again, at that critical moment when, to all intents and purposes the quarry is virtually killed, or on its last legs, if the expression be preferred.

CHAPTER VI.

INS AND OUTS.

SIR ARTHUR and Lady Percival did not visit Frickney as soon as they were expected, or at the precise time which they themselves originally intended. On the evening of the day on which Elton returned, and imparted to Alice the sum and substance of his expedition to Bannerley, and triumphantly handed to her the certificate which he had vainly imagined would settle once and for ever her doubts and apprehensions, a special messenger arrived with the intelligence, that Sir Arthur had been summoned to Ireland on business of importance,

and that in consequence the anticipated meeting of the sisters must be postponed for the present.

Alice herself was not sorry for this delay. It gave her time to think and to arrange her plans, and to mark out definitely the course she intended to pursue. After considerable reflection, she determined to take her journey at once; and for the adoption of this plan there were two very prominent reasons which weighed with her. The first of these was founded on a correct appreciation of that proverbial wisdom which "strikes when the iron is hot;" the second owed its origin to the exigencies of the new position in which, she conceived, she now stood with respect to her compromise with Elton. By acting decisively, and going to Bannerley at once, she would take him at his word, and give him no opportunity of retracting the permission that she should do so, which, however ungraciously yielded, was nevertheless sufficient for her purpose, and was less likely to be cavilled at or objected to whilst it was still fresh in his memory, and could not be gainsayed on the plea of forgetfulness. With bad memories,