r share of the money she meant to have. She was tired of poverty,
tired of planning and scheming, of debt and humiliation. She was tired
of her life of dependence at Acol Court, and felt a sufficiency of youth
and buoyancy in herself yet, to enjoy a final decade of luxury and
amusement in London.

Therefore, she closed her ears to every call of conscience, she shut her
heart against the lonely young girl who so sadly needed the counsels and
protection of a good woman, and she was quite ready to lend a helping
hand to Sir Marmaduke, at least until a goodly share of Lady Sue's
fortune was safely within her grasp.

One point occurred to her now, which caused her to ask anxiously:

"Have you not made your reckonings without Richard Lambert, Marmaduke?
He is back in these parts, you know?"

"Ah!" he ejaculated, with a quick scowl of impatience. "He has
returned?"

"Yes! Charity was my informant. He looks very ill, so the wench says: he
has been down with fever, it appears, all the while that he was in
prison, and was only discharged because they feared that he would die.
He contrived to work or beg his way back here, and now he is staying in
the village.... I thought you would have heard."

"No! I never speak to the old woman ... and Adam Lambert avoids me as he
would the plague.... I see as little of them as I can.... I had to be
prudent these last, final days."

"Heaven grant he may do nothing fatal to-day!" she murmured.

"Nay! my dear Editha," he retorted with a harsh laugh, "'tis scarcely
Heaven's business to look after our schemes. But Lambert can do us very
little harm now! For his own sake, he will keep out of Sue's way."

"At what hour does Master Skyffington arrive?"

"In half an hour."

Then as he saw that she was putting into effect her former resolve of
going out, despite the rain, and was once more readjusting her hood for
that purpose, he opened the door for her, and whispered as he followed
her out:

"An you will allow me, my dear Editha, I'll accompany you on your walk
... we might push on down the Canterbury Road, and perchance meet Master
Skyffington.... I understand that Sue has been asking for me, and I
would prefer to meet her as seldom as possible just now.... This is my
last day," he concluded with a laugh, "and I must be doubly careful."

CHAPTER XXV

AN INTERLUDE

Master Hymn-of-Praise Busy was vastly perturbed. Try how he might, he
had been unable to make any discovery wi