however, soon arrived on the scene, and the crowd immediately melted away as if by magic. She was infinitely kind and soothing, thanked him in a low voice, while she arranged the cushions for his head to rest on, for his heroic conduct in defence of her dearest child-conduct she should never cease to be grateful for; assured him that Mr. Grierson the surgeon had been sent for, that a room was preparing for him, that Mr. Usherwood and herself could not possibly allow him to leave the house, that common humanity forbade it, that the feelings of gratitude pervading the whole household would recoil from such a preposterous idea. So Nugent made up his mind to succumb, and somehow or other rather approved of the arrangement.

CHAPTER IV.

DEATH IN THE COTTAGE.

MR. USHERWOOD is sitting over his wine in the large wellfurnished dining-room of Beaumont House. An elegant but not profuse dessert is spread on the table before him; his hands are clasped over his knees, his head is slightly bowed; he is in the attitude of one endeavouring to concentrate his thoughts upon a subject he does not entirely comprehend.

This gentleman inherited a handsome fortune from his father, amassed in mercantile pursuits. As soon as he was his own master, Mr. Usherwood relinquished business, and devoted himself to enjoying the wealth collected by the upright industry of a whole life. He had been advised by one best qualified to advise him (his father) not to abandon business, but, if only for the sake of occupation, to adhere to it for some time longer. Mr. Usherwood could not entirely acquiesce in this view of the subject. He bought land; built a house; married a lady of rank and beauty; enjoyed the good things he owed to the labours of another; and exchanged a life of vigour and activity for one of effeminacy and selfindulgence. He grew sleek and indolent, curious in portwine, partial to side dishes, acquired a weakness for the most comfortable corner by the fireside, was invisible of a morning til ten o'clock, took a solemn after-dinner nap of an

hour's duration, and read daily the whole of the advertisements in the Times. He lounged through life in his ample arm-chair, like a large oyster in its nether shell.

On the present occasion Mr. Usherwood was not alone. Gertrude had quitted the room; but Lady Maud, as was her wont when there was any important matter to discuss, remained at the table, and, in a low, sweet voice, thus addressed her husband,

"My love, what you say contains, as it always does when you choose to exert yourself, much truth. Under ordinary circumstances I should be disposed to adhere to the laisser faire principle, and not precipitate, even in the gentlest manner, an affair of this nature

66

Well, now, your measures seem to me," exclaimed Mr. Usherwood," what I call strong-decidedly strong!"

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But," proceeded Lady Maud, calmly waving her small white hand to deprecate interruption, " in our present uneasy position, with the shares of the Rentworth Grand Junction Railway twenty-five per cent. below their original value, and still, I fear, inclined to drop

Mr. Usherwood groaned, and helped himself to a glass of port.

"Still, I fear, inclined to drop lower and lower, I feel I must make an effort for my dear child's sake. Consider for a moment what would be our feelings if worse trials should come upon us-reduced fortune and declining years—and we should see our darling penniiess and unmarried!"

"Poor dear!" said Mr. Usherwood; "poor thing-and she brought up in such luxury!"

"Our affairs, my love, are not in a pleasant state."

"I know it, Maud-I know it now! You opened my eyes. Would I had always taken your advice! Oh! those rascally railways-those man-traps for the unwary-why did I meddle with them?"

"My dear, I am not free from blame in this matter. I urged you to take a more active part in society and politics. You thought to surprise me by joining the Rentworth Railway speculation, and repairing our finances whilst you won my approbation. If you had consulted me"

"Ah!" said her husband, "I was a presumptuous blockhead! If I had consulted you before I took my two hundred shares, and put my name down as a director! Yes-yes, I was tenderly led by the nose!"

"Don't fret, dear," said Lady Maud, rising up and imprinting a gentle kiss on his forehead, darkened by an uncustomary frown; "it is no use brooding over the past.'

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'Maud, dear, what would become of me but for you?" he replied, pressing her hand, which she then quietly disengaged from his grasp, and, sitting down, continued her conversation.

"Our guest is a most eligible man in every respect-a gentleman, a Christian, and a descendant, as I before said, of the Tyrrells of Richard the Third's time."

"But at present destitute of much cash."

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'My dear, I have reason to believe he has saved, and has invested what he has saved."

"In the Rentworth Grand Junction Railway?" asked Usherwood.

'No, my dear—a solid investment. And then, as I have before said, there is all the Clinton property actually on the brink of falling into his hands!"

"But, my dear, I must bargain for one proviso. I must, indeed!" And Mr. Usherwood resumed his concentrated attitude, and summoned a really resolute expression into his countenance. "I must not have my little girl's inclinations forced. I will not permit it. I put my absolute veto upon it."

And then, his warmth rapidly cooling as he met Lady Maud's glance, he added, "I would really prefer it should not be done, my dear ;-please don't, my dear-I ask it as a favour, merely as a favour, my dear."

Lady Maud smiled graciously and replied, "Dear Richard, do you think I am going to act the haughty countess of the days of chivalry, and drag my beloved child to the altar by the hair of her head? I am convinced she likes our friend." Why, she has not spoken to him half-a-dozen times!"

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"My dear, so much the better. We are always inclined to feel most interested in those whom we see the least, but of whom we hear the most. Miss Beverley admires our guest beyond everything; thinks him charming, noble, mysterious, and I don't know what. And she tells Gertrude all the good he does in the parish, and how kindly he looks after his men. So Gertrude thinks him the beau idéal of the country gentleman; but then, poor dear, she has seen very few others as yet, that's true!"

"My dear, she may admire him, but nothing more."

"I have my own opinion, my love," rejoined Lady Maud; "leave things to me."

"This adventure of to-day was certainly propitious," said her husband.

"Providential, indeed !" rejoined Lady Maud, gravely.

At that moment the butler entered the room hastily, and exclaimed, "If you please, my lady-if you please, sir, he's off! he's escaped!"

"What, Mr. Nugent?" asked Usherwood.

Lady Maud blushed.

"The man, sir, who insulted our young lady--the man Harrill, my lady"

66 Oh, the wretch!" cried Lady Maud. "Well, send to Colonel Clair, and ask him to order the constables to go in pursuit. I wish they could lodge him safe in gaol."

"Let us have coffee, William; and I should like a small glass of maraschino, William," interrupted Mr. Usherwood. And, William, bring me the supplement of the Times ; I have not quite finished it."

They withdrew to the drawing-room, where Nugent was discovered, endeavouring with imperfect success to walk across the room, supporting himself on two chairs.

He exclaimed, in a tone of some excitement, "I think I could ride my gray pony, if you would kindly send some one to the farm for him, Lady Maud !”

"Dear Mr. Nugent, you must be out of your senses! You must not move an inch from that sofa till you go to bed, which ought to be-allow me to suggest-at an early hour."

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'My love," she added to Mr. Usherwood, who had comfortably established himself on Nugent's sofa; "my love, you will find the arm-chair yonder a great deal more convenient."

Nugent, who was suffering much pain, was not sorry to resume his place, which Mr. Usherwood relinquished with convulsive alacrity.

"I was in hopes," said Nugent, "I could have started in pursuit of the fellow."

"I only hope," cried Gertrude, "he will go a long way off." "There is no doubt of that," said Nugent. "But what vexes me is Weston's extraordinary conduct. I really thought better of him!"

"Well, and what has he done?" asked Lady Maud.

"Why, I left Harrill in charge of old Andrew at the lodge, and this Weston. Harrill's arms were well pinioned with a rope. In a quarter of an hour, when the constable arrived,

there was nobody to be found in the lodge but the old man tied to the leg of the table, and gagged!"

"And has Weston disappeared, too, then?"

"No, he came back just after the constable had released Andrew. The story is, that Harrill prevailed on him to go and let his wife know what had happened, as he said the shock would kill her if it was told her on a sudden. So Weston looked to see if the cord was fast round the fellow's arms, and tied another knot or two, and then starts off. Directly he is gone, Harrill slips his arms out of the cord, seizes the old man, gags him, ties him in a heap to the leg of his own table, and then makes off as fast as he can !"

"Rather suspicious behaviour of this Mr. George Weston," said Lady Maud; "Paine never liked him."

"It was very kind, at all events, to go and tell the poor sick wife," interposed Gertrude.

"Paine never liked Weston," again observed Lady Maud. "I have found out, my dear," she added to Gertrude, “that he quarrelled with the servants; and this is the reason he has not come lately for anything for Lucy. He was shown into the servants' hall whilst Paine went for some jelly, and what should he do but commence arguing with the coachman, a very steady man, and a conservative both in politics and religion. The footman and some of the maids joined the controversy; so, when Paine returned, the whole place was in an uproar, and Paine was obliged to tell Weston, civilly, you know, and as it were in confidence, that he was nothing more nor less than an 'Atheist.' This so affronted Weston that he left the house in a rage, and vowed he would not enter it again unless Paine made him a written apology!"

"I am not much surprised at this," said Nugent. "I rather took him by the hand when he first came; but he had a sad love for getting people about him and speechifying to them on religion and politics. I set my face against this; but he would persist, and at length established at Okenham and other places round, what he called a philanthropic club,' where he gave penny lectures and spouted to his heart's content. He is clever enough, knows something about medicine, and would make a good farrier or veterinary, but love of excitement will not let him rest."

"That's the blessing of a free country!" exclaimed Mr. Usherwood. "What's the use of your Boards of Health, and that sort of thing? Why, a fellow like this is a walking pes