marriage were available? You use—your maiden name!”

I felt my cheeks burn, and started forward; he waved me impatiently aside; my mother interrupted hastily, her face expressionless, but the colour staining her face, “You need not ask your question, Mr. Bradbury.”

He proceeded coolly, “Mr. Richard Craike has been lost to his family for many years. Having known Richard I appreciate easily the reasons which actuated him in cutting himself wholly from his family and in passing under an assumed name. Richard’s death—again forgive me, p. 36madam, should render his son heir to Mr. Edward Craike,—a gentleman of considerable fortune,—as I need not remind you.” He smeared his lip with snuff, and paused, eyeing her closely. She answering nothing, he said swiftly, “You do not help me, Mrs. Craike.”

p. 36

“Pray, sir, go on,” she said, impatiently. “Say what you have to say.”

He said, still in that hard tone of his, “From one who had suffered at the hands of the Craike family—more particularly at the hands of Mr. Charles Craike, and at the hands of Mrs. Charles,—since deceased,—of Mr. Charles, then, heir in the event of Richard’s death, it might be idle for me to seek any assistance only to serve the interests of my client—Mr. Edward—as I conceive these interests. Idle to plead the loneliness of an old, unhappy man, having lost the one thing that made life precious to him—his elder son, the very light of his eyes. But if I urge, Mrs. Craike, that the opportunity presents itself,—not only of insuring the fortunes of Richard’s son-but also of retaliating upon Charles Craike, of excluding him, his son, Oliver, from a rich inheritance,—what then, Mrs. Craike?”

She looked up at him, her eyes curiously alight, her lips curling, but for the moment did not answer.

p. 37“And Charles Craike being responsible—possibly responsible—for the disappearance of his brother”—he proceeded, tapping impatiently upon his snuff-box, “what then, Mrs. Craike?”

p. 37

“Mr. Bradbury,” she said instantly, “this is a question I shall not answer now.”

“Mr. Edward Craike is of advanced years and broken health. His death is shortly to be expected,” he said. “Your decision is of some urgency. Nor do I desire my visits to you to be a matter of gossip at Chelton.”

“You may come to-morrow 

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