ng to be
baulked, however. I waited calmly in the hall to be announced, but
inwardly determined to take no denial. The message was such as I
expected--a polite intimation that Mr. Lawrence could see no one; he was
feverish, and must not be disturbed.

'I shall not disturb him long,' said I; 'but I must see him for a moment:
it is on business of importance that I wish to speak to him.'

'I'll tell him, sir,' said the man. And I advanced further into the hall
and followed him nearly to the door of the apartment where his master
was--for it seemed he was not in bed. The answer returned was that Mr.
Lawrence hoped I would be so good as to leave a message or a note with
the servant, as he could attend to no business at present.

'He may as well see me as you,' said I; and, stepping past the astonished
footman, I boldly rapped at the door, entered, and closed it behind me.
The room was spacious and handsomely furnished--very comfortably, too,
for a bachelor. A clear, red fire was burning in the polished grate: a
superannuated greyhound, given up to idleness and good living, lay
basking before it on the thick, soft rug, on one corner of which, beside
the sofa, sat a smart young springer, looking wistfully up in its
master's face--perhaps asking permission to share his couch, or, it might
be, only soliciting a caress from his hand or a kind word from his lips.
The invalid himself looked very interesting as he lay reclining there, in
his elegant dressing-gown, with a silk handkerchief bound across his
temples. His usually pale face was flushed and feverish; his eyes were
half closed, until he became sensible of my presence--and then he opened
them wide enough: one hand was thrown listlessly over the back of the
sofa, and held a small volume, with which, apparently, he had been vainly
attempting to beguile the weary hours. He dropped it, however, in his
start of indignant surprise as I advanced into the room and stood before
him on the rug. He raised himself on his pillows, and gazed upon me with
equal degrees of nervous horror, anger, and amazement depicted on his
countenance.

'Mr. Markham, I scarcely expected this!' he said; and the blood left his
cheek as he spoke.

'I know you didn't,' answered I; 'but be quiet a minute, and I'll tell
you what I came for.' Unthinkingly, I advanced a step or two nearer. He
winced at my approach, with an expression of aversion and instinctive
physical fear anything but conciliat