was Mr. Hinton?"

"Yes, I knew."

"Charlotte had hoped to keep that disgrace from you."

"Ah!"

"She gave you another reason for breaking off her engagement?"

"Yes, a weak and futile one. She could not expect me to believe it. I
did what she had but done before me. I went to Somerset House and saw
that will which has been so greatly abused."

"She never knew that."

"Pardon me, she did."

"I fear I must be rude enough to contradict you. She said most
distinctly that you were fully satisfied with the reasons she had given
for breaking off the engagement, that perhaps you might never now learn
what her father had done."

Hinton looked at his companion in some perplexity.

"But I wrote to her," he said. "I wrote a letter which, it seemed to me,
any woman who had a spark even of kindness would have answered. In that
letter, I told her that I held her to her promise; that I knew all; that
even if she did not write to me I would call and try to see her. She
never replied to my letter, and when, after waiting for twenty-four
hours, I went to the house, she absolutely refused to see me."

"She never knew you called," answered Mrs. Home, "and she never got your
letter."

"Good heavens! how do you know?"

"I know her too well; but I will ask her directly."

Hinton was silent.

After a short pause, Mrs. Home broke out passionately,--

"How dare you insinuate doubts of so noble a creature?"

"I could only believe facts."

"Has a letter never gone astray? Has a letter never failed to reach the
hands it was meant for? Mr. Hinton, I am ashamed of you."

"If you can prove that she never got it?"

"I know she never got it. She is changed; her heart is half broken. But
I will prove it. I will go to her at once. Are you still going to
Scotland?"

"I need not go until I hear from you. You have astonished me greatly."

"Then drive to my house. Ah! you do not know our new address; it is ----;
wait for me there, I will be with you in an hour or so."

CHAPTER LVII.

JOHN.

Hinton went to Mrs. Home's house. The children were out, Mr. Home was
not visible. Anne, now converted into a neat parlor-maid, received him
with broad grins of pleasure. She ushered him into the pretty,
newly-furnished drawing-room, and asked him to wait for her mistress.

"Missis 'ull be back afore long," she said, lingering a little to
readjust the blinds, and half hoping, half expecting, Hinton to make
some surprised and appro