them before they
reached the door-step. When there, Mr Ball, speaking already with
something of marital authority, gave her his instructions.

"I shall tell my mother this evening," he said, "as I hate mysteries;
and I shall tell my father also. Of course there may be something
disagreeable said before we all shake down happily in our places, but
I shall look to you, Margaret, to be firm."

"I shall be firm," she said, "if you are."

"I shall be firm," was the reply; and then they went into the house.

CHAPTER XXI

Mr Maguire Goes to London on Business

Mr Maguire made up his mind to go to London, to look after his
lady-love, but when he found himself there he did not quite know what
to do. It is often the case with us that we make up our minds for
great action,--that in some special crisis of our lives we resolve
that something must be done, and that we make an energetic start; but
we find very soon that we do not know how to go on doing anything. It
was so with Mr Maguire. When he had secured a bed at a small public
house near the Great Western railway station,--thinking, no doubt
that he would go to the great hotel on his next coming to town,
should he then have obtained the lady's fortune,--he scarcely knew
what step he would next take. Margaret's last letter had been written
to him from the Cedars, but he thought it probable that she might
only have gone there for a day or two. He knew the address of the
house in Gower Street, and at last resolved that he would go boldly
in among the enemy there; for he was assured that the family of the
lady's late brother were his special enemies in this case. It was
considerably past noon when he reached London, and it was about three
when, with a hesitating hand, but a loud knock, he presented himself
at Mrs Mackenzie's door.

He first asked for Miss Mackenzie, and was told that she was not
staying there. Was he thereupon to leave his card and go away? He had
told himself that in this pursuit of the heiress he would probably be
called upon to dare much, and if he did not begin to show some daring
at once, how could he respect himself, or trust to himself for future
daring? So he boldly asked for Mrs Mackenzie, and was at once shown
into the parlour. There sat the widow, in her full lugubrious weeds,
there sat Miss Colza, and there sat Mary Jane, and they were all busy
hemming, darning, and clipping; turning old sheets into new ones; for
now it was more than ev