s all this to you," and roughly
seizing Tamar by the arm, he drew her out of the room, saying, "you have
all you want, go down to your father, and let us see you no more."

The young girl almost doubted as she descended the stairs, but that
still she was over-reached, and if so, that Dymock would not perhaps
find it out till it might be too late; she therefore, hearing Jacob
behind her, ran with all her might, and coming to the place where Dymock
stood, she called to him to follow her, and ran directly to Shanty's
shed; Dymock proceeded after her a few yards behind, and Jacob still
farther in the rear, crying "Laird, stop! stop! Mr. Dymock! give us your
release, here is a paper for you to sign."

Fortunately, Tamar found Shanty alone in his shed, and taking him into
his inner room, she caused him to count and examine the money and thus
was he occupied when Dymock and Jacob came in. Tamar went back to the
outer room of the shed; but Shanty remained within, and when he found
that all was right, Mr. Dymock gave his release. Jacob returned to the
Tower, and old Shanty trotted off to Hexham, to put the money in a place
of security; nor did he fail in his object, so that before he slept, the
Laird had the satisfaction to think that this dirty work was all
completed, and that without his having in the least soiled his own hands
in the process. As to the mystery of Tamar's having been enabled to
effect what he could not do, he soon settled that matter in his own
mind, for, thought he, "if I the Laird of Dymock could never refuse a
favour asked me by this maid of Judah, how could inferior minds be
expected to withstand her influence?"--the poor Laird not considering
that the very inferiority and coarseness of such minds as he attributed
to Salmon and Jacob, would have prevented them from feeling that
influence, which he had found so powerful. But they had felt something,
which certainly belonged to Tamar, and had yielded to that something;
nor could Tamar herself, when she reflected upon that scene in the
Tower, at all comprehend how she had excited such emotions as she
witnessed there; neither could Shanty, nor Mrs. Margaret help her out.

Again for another month, all went on in its usual routine; all was quiet
at Dymock's Tower, and darning, writing, and hammering, continued to be
the order of the day with Mrs. Margaret, the Laird, and Shanty, whilst
Tamar was all gay and happy in the fulfilment of many active duties,
rising