"

This appeal and Grace's opening of the door had the effect of directing
every one into the hall, Mr. Grey asking Mrs. Curtis by the way, "Eh?
Then this is Rachel's new female asylum, is it?"

"Yes, I always feared there was something odd about it. I never liked
that man, and now--Fanny, my love, what is the matter?"

In a few simple words Fanny answered that she had contrived to be left
alone with the children, and had then found signs of such shocking
ill-treatment of them, that she had thought it right to bring them away
at once.

"And you will commit those wretches. You will send them to prison at
once, Mr. Grey. They have been deceiving my poor Rachel ever so long,
and getting sums upon sums of money out of her," said Mrs. Curtis,
becoming quite blood-thirsty.

"If there is sufficient occasion I will summon the persons concerned to
the Bench on Wednesday," said Mr. Grey, a practical, active squire.

"Not till Wednesday!" said Mrs. Curtis, as if she thought the course of
justice very tardy. But the remembrance of Mr. Curtis's magisterial
days came to her aid, and she continued, "but you can take all the
examinations here at once, you know; and Grace can find you a summons
paper, if you will just go into the study."

"It might save the having the children over to-morrow, certainly," said
Mr. Grey, and he was inducted almost passively into the leathern chair
before the library table, where Mr. Curtis had been wont to administer
justice, and Grace was diving deep into a bureau for the printed forms
long treasured there, her mother directing her, though Mr. Grey vainly
protested that any foolscap would do as well. It was a curious scene.
Mrs. Grey with her daughters had the discretion to remove themselves,
but every one else was in a state of excitement, and pressed into the
room, the two boys disputing under their breath whether the civilians
called it a court martial, and, with some confusion between mutineers
and Englishwomen, hoping the woman would be blown from the mouth of a
cannon, for hadn't she gone and worn a cap like mamma's? They would have
referred the question to Miss Williams, but she had been deposited by
the Colonel on one of the chairs in the furthest corner of the room,
and he stood sheltering her agitation and watching the proceedings.
Lady Temple still held a hand of each of her rescued victims, as if
she feared they were still in danger, and all the time Rachel stood and
looked like a sta