like as
not she will take him again. If I could use this foot, I would go into
the house, this minute, and have the first word with her." At this he
rose to his feet and made a step with his sprained ankle, but the sudden
pain occasioned by this action caused him to sit down again with a
groan. Lawrence Croft was not a man to do himself a physical injury
which might be permanent, if such doing could possibly be avoided, and
he gave up the idea of trying to go into the house.

"I tell you what it is, Letty," said Uncle Isham, when he returned to
the kitchen after having carried Lawrence's supper to him, "dat ar
Mister Croft in de offis is a gittin wuss an' wuss in he min', ebery
day. I neber seed a man more pow'ful glowerin' dan he is dis ebenin."

"I reckin' he j'ints is healin' up," said Letty. "Dey tells me dat de
healin' pains mos' gen'rally runs into de min'."

About nine o'clock in the evening Junius Keswick paid Lawrence a visit;
and, taking a seat by one side of the fireplace, accepted the offer of a
cigar.

"How are things going on in the house?" asked Lawrence.

"Well," said Keswick, speaking slowly, "as you know so much of our
family affairs, I might as well tell you that they are in a somewhat
upset condition. When I went in, I saw, at first, no one but my cousin,
and she seemed so extraordinarily glad to see me that I thought
something must be wrong, somewhere; and when my aunt returned--she was
not at home when I arrived--she was thrown into such a state of mind on
seeing me, that I didn't know whether she was going to order me out of
the house or go herself. But she restrained herself, wonderfully,
considering her provocation, for, of course, I have entirely disordered
her plans by appearing here, when she had arranged everything for you to
have Miss March to yourself. But, so far, the peace has been kept
between us, although she scarcely speaks to me."

"And Miss March?" said Lawrence. "You have seen her?"

"Yes," said Junius, "I saw her at supper, and for a short time
afterwards, but she soon retired to her room."

"Do you think she was disturbed by your return?" asked Lawrence.

"I won't say that," said Junius, "but she was certainly not herself. Mrs
Null tells me that she expects to go home to-morrow morning, having
written to her uncle to send for her."

"That is bad, bad, very bad," said Lawrence.

After that there was a pause in the conversation, during which Mr Croft,
with brows very m