now, he's completely lost and nobody knows
what has become of him--"

Mr Marshall's quiet voice effected a diversion.

"Mrs Louvaine, pardon me. Aubrey is at my house, safe and sound.
There is no need for your trouble."

"Of course!" responded Temperance. "I told her so. Might as well talk
to the fire-bricks, when she takes a fancy of this sort. If the lad had
come to any harm, we should have heard it. Faith never will think that
`no news is good news.'"

"I am glad Aubrey is with you, Mr Marshall," said the gentle voice of
Lady Louvaine.

"I met with him, Madam, in a walk this afternoon, and brought him so far
with me."

"And why not a bit further, trow?" asked Temperance.

"That am I come to say. Madam,"--and he addressed himself to Lady
Louvaine,--"having told you that your grandson is well in body, and safe
at my lodging, I trust it shall not greatly touch you to learn that he
is in some trouble of mind."

"Didn't I tell you?" demanded Mrs Louvaine, in tones suited to
Cassandra amid the ruins of Troy. "I said I was sure some harm had come
to the boy, and you laughed me to scorn, and not one of you went to
see--"

"Nobody laughed at you but me, my dear," said her sister: "and as to
going to see, when his mother did not reckon it worth while to budge, I
don't see why his aunts should not sit quiet."

"Why, you never looked for _me_ to go?" responded Mrs Louvaine, with a
faint scream of horror. "Me, a poor widow, and with my feeble health!
When I haven't been out of the door except to church for nigh a month!"

"More's the pity! If you knocked about a bit more, and went to market
of a morrow, and such like, maybe your health would not be so feeble."

"Temperance, you barbarous creature, how _can_ you?"

"Well, I know there are folks that can, Faith, and there are folks that
can't. You never heard me ask my Lady Lettice why she didn't stir up
and go a-marketing. She can't; she'd be only too glad if she could, and
would want no asking. But you could if you would--it's true, my dear,
and you don't need to stare, as if you'd never seen me before this
evening. As for looking for you to go, I didn't indeed; I never look
for aught but cumber, and so I'm not disappointed.--Mr Marshall, I ask
your pardon; I'm staying you from speaking."

Mr Marshall accepted the apology with a smile.

"Well, the upshot of the matter is this. Mr Louvaine, though in truth,
as I do verily believe, innocent of all i