t I do not wish that this should be done. I mean,
I desire that it be not done. The Hopes shall live in that house of
mine as long as they please. And if," continued Mr Rowland, not liking
the expression of his lady's eye,--"if any one disturbs them in their
present abode--the consequence will be that I shall be compelled to
invite them here. I shall establish them in this very house, sooner
than that they shall be obliged to leave Deerbrook against their will;
and then, my dear, you will have to be off to Cheltenham again."

"What nonsense you talk, Mr Rowland! Who should disturb them, if you
won't be open to reason, so as to do it yourself? I thought you knew
enough of what it is to be ridden by poor tenants, to wish to avoid the
plague, if warned in time. But some people can never take warning."

"Let us see that you can, my love. You will remember what I have said
about the Hopes being disturbed, I have no doubt. And now we have done
with that, I want to tell you--"

"Presently, when we have really done with this subject, my dear. I have
other reasons--"

"Which you will spare me the hearing. My dear Priscilla, there are no
reasons on earth which can justify me in turning this family out of
their house, or you in asking me to do it. Let us hear no more about
it."

"But you must hear. I will be heard on a subject in which I have such
an interest, Mr Rowland."

"Ring the bell, my little fellow. Pull hard. That's it--Candles in the
office immediately."

And Mr Rowland tossed off the last half of his glass of port, kissed
the little ones, and was gone. The lady remained to compassionate
herself; which she did very deeply, that she could find no means of
ridding herself of the great plague of her life. These people were
always in her way, and no one would help her to dislodge them. Her own
husband was against her--quite unmanageable and perverse.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

THE VICTIMS.

If Mrs Rowland was dissatisfied with her success, while seeing that
some resources of comfort remained to the Hopes and Margaret, a view of
the interior of the corner-house would probably have affected her
deeply, and set her moralising on the incompleteness of all human
triumphs. There was peace there which even she could not invade--could
only, if she had known it, envy. Her power was now exhausted, and her
work was unfinished. For many weeks, she had made Margaret as miserable
as she had intended to m