es
afterwards. Joseph officiously opened the door for him; and Joseph was
surprised, precisely as his mistress had been surprised. Mr. Gallilee
had a large brown paper parcel under his arm--the second which he
had taken out of the house with his own hands! Moreover, he looked
excessively confused when the footman discovered him. That night, he was
late in returning from the club. Joseph (now on the watch) observed that
he was not steady on his legs--and drew his own conclusions accordingly.

Punctual to her time, on the next morning, the new governess arrived.
Mrs. Gallilee received her, and sent for the children.

The maid in charge of them appeared alone. She had no doubt that the
young ladies would be back directly. The master had taken them out for a
little walk, before they began their lessons. He had been informed
that the lady who had been appointed to teach them would arrive at ten
o'clock. And what had he said? He had said, "Very good."

The half-hour struck--eleven o'clock struck--and neither the father nor
the children returned. Ten minutes later, someone rang the door bell.
The door being duly opened, nobody appeared on the house-step. Joseph
looked into the letter-box, and found a note addressed to his mistress,
in his master's handwriting. He immediately delivered it.

Hitherto, Mrs. Gallilee had only been anxious. Joseph, waiting for
events outside the door, heard the bell rung furiously; and found his
mistress (as he forcibly described it) "like a woman gone distracted."
Not without reason--to do her justice. Mr. Gallilee's method of
relieving his wife's anxiety was remarkable by its brevity. In one
sentence, he assured her that there was no need to feel alarmed. In
another, he mentioned that he had taken the girls away with him for a
change of air. And then he signed his initials--J. G.

Every servant in the house was summoned to the library, when Mrs.
Gallilee had in some degree recovered herself.

One after another they were strictly examined; and one after another
they had no evidence to give--excepting the maid who had been present
when the master took the young ladies away. The little she had to tell,
pointed to the inference that he had not admitted the girls to his
confidence before they left the house. Maria had submitted, without
appearing to be particularly pleased at the prospect of so early a walk.
Zo (never ready to exert either her intelligence or her legs) had openly
declared that s