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 to a loving wife who will do her duty. And I'm sure you'll be good to her.'

'I will endeavour to be so.'

'A man must be very bad indeed who would be bad to her,—and I don't think that of you. And it's a great thing, Mr. Graham, that Madeline should have loved a man of whom her papa is so fond. I don't know what you have done to the judge, I'm sure.' This she said, remembering in the innocence of her heart that Mr. Arbuthnot had been a son-in-law rather after her own choice, and that the judge always declared that his eldest daughter's husband had seldom much to say for himself.

'And I hope that Madeline's mother will receive me as kindly as Madeline's father,' said he, taking Lady Staveley's hand and pressing it.

'Indeed I will. I will love you very dearly if you will let me. My girls' husbands are the same to me as sons.' Then she put up her face and he kissed it, and so they wished each other good night.

He found Augustus in his own room, and they two had hardly sat themselves down over the fire, intending to recall the former scenes which had taken place in that very room, when a knock was heard at the door, and Mrs. Baker entered.

'And so it's all settled, Mr. Felix,' said she.

'Yes,' said he; 'all settled.'

'Well now! didn't I know it from the first?'

'Then what a wicked old woman you were not to tell,' said Augustus.

'That's all very well, Master Augustus. How would you like me to tell of you;—for I could, you know?'

'You wicked old woman, you couldn't do anything of the kind.'

'Oh, couldn't I? But I defy all the world to say a word of Miss Madeline but what's good,—only I did know all along which way the wind was blowing. Lord. love you, Mr. Graham, when you came in here all of a smash like, I knew it wasn't for nothing.'

'You think he did it on purpose then,' said Staveley.

'Did it on purpose? What; make up to Miss Madeline? Why, of course he did it on purpose. He's been a-thinking of it ever since Christmas night, when I saw you, Master Augustus, and a certain young lady when you came out into the dark passage together.'

'That's a downright falsehood, Mrs. Baker.'

'Oh—very well. Perhaps I was mistaken. But now, Mr. Graham, if you don't treat our Miss Madeline well'

'That's just what I've been telling him,' said her brother. 'If he uses her ill, as he did his former wife—breaks her heart as he did with that one'

'His former wife!' said Mrs. Baker.