tes to you."

"I'm glad to see you able to travel," said Dr Thorne, who could not
force himself to tell his guest that he was glad to see him at
Greshamsbury.

"Oh, travel; yes, I can travel well enough. But I wish you had some
better sort of trap down in these country parts. I'm shaken to bits.
And, doctor, would you tell your people to send that fellow of mine
up here with hot water."

So dismissed, the doctor went his way, and met Joe swaggering in one
of the passages, while Janet and her colleague dragged along between
them a heavy article of baggage.

"Janet," said he, "go downstairs and get Sir Louis some hot water,
and Joe, do you take hold of your master's portmanteau."

Joe sulkily did as he was bid. "Seems to me," said he, turning to
the girl, and speaking before the doctor was out of hearing, "seems
to me, my dear, you be rather short-handed here; lots of work and
nothing to get; that's about the ticket, ain't it?" Bridget was too
demurely modest to make any answer upon so short an acquaintance; so,
putting her end of the burden down at the strange gentleman's door,
she retreated into the kitchen.

Sir Louis, in answer to the doctor's inquiries, had declared himself
to be all right; but his appearance was anything but all right.
Twelve months since, a life of dissipation, or rather, perhaps, a
life of drinking, had not had upon him so strong an effect but that
some of the salt of youth was still left; some of the freshness of
young years might still be seen in his face. But this was now all
gone; his eyes were sunken and watery, his cheeks were hollow and
wan, his mouth was drawn and his lips dry; his back was even bent,
and his legs were unsteady under him, so that he had been forced to
step down from his carriage as an old man would do. Alas, alas! he
had no further chance now of ever being all right again.

Mary had secluded herself in her bedroom as soon as the carriage had
driven up to the door, and there she remained till dinner-time. But
she could not shut herself up altogether. It would be necessary that
she should appear at dinner; and, therefore, a few minutes before the
hour, she crept out into the drawing-room. As she opened the door,
she looked in timidly, expecting Sir Louis to be there; but when
she saw that her uncle was the only occupant of the room, her brow
cleared, and she entered with a quick step.

"He'll come down to dinner; won't he, uncle?"

"Oh, I suppose so."

"What's