rid of him, and of the kid too, and has as much as she
wants to live on. It's better than she deserves.--Do you believe he's
been carrying on with that girl?'

Miss. French laughed contemptuously.

'Not he!'

'Well, there's been a jolly good row to-night, if we never see another.
We shall all be in the papers!' The prospect had charms for Fanny. 'What
are you going to do? Live here till Christmas?'

Beatrice was quietly reviewing the situation. She kept silence, and her
sister also became meditative. Suddenly Fanny inquired:

'What sort of a place is Brussels?'

'Brussels? Why? I know nothing about it. Not much of a place, I think;
sprouts come from there, don't they?'

'It's a big town,' said the other, 'and a lively sort of place, they
say.

'Why do you ask me, if you know? What about it?'

As usual when performing the operation which, in her, answered to
thought, Fanny shuffled with her hands on her waist. At a distance from
Beatrice she stood still, and said:

'Some one I know is going there. I've a good mind to go too. I want to
see abroad.'

Her sister asked several searching questions, but Fanny would not make
known whether the friend was male or female.

'I shouldn't be much surprised,' remarked the woman of business,
indifferently, 'if you go and make a fool of yourself before long. That
Mrs. Damerel is up to some game with you; any one could see it with half
an eye. I suppose it isn't Lord that's going to Brussels?'

Fanny sputtered her disdain.

'If you had any common sense,' pursued her sister, 'you'd stick to him;
but you haven't. Oh yes, you think you can do better. Very well, we
shall see. If you find yourself in a hole one of these days, don't
expect _me_ to pull you out. I wouldn't give you a penny to save you
from the workhouse.'

'Wait till you're asked. I know where all _your_ money 'll go to. And
that's into Crewe's pocket. He'll fool you out of all you have.'

Beatrice reddened with wrath. But, unlike the other members of her
family, she could command her tongue. Fanny found it impossible to draw
another word from her.

On returning from the police-station, haggard and faint with excitement,
but supported by the anticipation of fresh attacks upon her husband,
Ada immediately learnt what had happened. For the first moment she
could hardly believe it. She rushed upstairs, and saw that the child
was really gone; then a blind frenzy took hold upon her. Alarming and
inexplicable