ff the bait without even leaving his brush behind
him. Sooth to say, the failure was a relief to Rachel, she had thrown so
much of her will and entire self into the upholding him, that she could
not yet detach herself or sympathize with those gentle souls, the mother
and Fanny, in keenly hunting him down. Might he not have been as much
deceived in Mrs. Rawlins as herself? At any rate she hoped for time to
face the subject, and kneeling on the ground so as to support little
Lovedy's sinking head on her shoulder, made the briefest replies in her
power when referred to. At last, Grace recollected the morning's affair
of Mrs. Rossitur's bills. Mr. Grey looked as if he saw daylight, Grace
volunteered to fetch both the account-book and Mrs. Rossitur, and Rachel
found the statement being extracted from her of the monthly production
of the bills, with the entries in the book, and of her having given the
money for their payment. Mr. Grey began to write, and she perceived that
he was taking down her deposition. She beckoned Mary to support her
poor little companion, and rising to her feet, said, to the horror and
consternation of her mother, "Mr. Grey, pray let me speak to you!"

He rose at once, and followed her to the hall, where he looked prepared
to be kind but firm.

"Must this be done to-day?" she said.

"Why not?" he answered.

"I want time to think about it. The woman has acted like a fiend, and I
have not a word to say for her; but I cannot feel that it is fair, after
such long and entire trust of this man, to turn on him suddenly without
notice."

"Do you mean that you will not prosecute?" said Mr. Grey, with a dozen
notes of interjection in his voice.

"I have not said so. I want time to make up my mind, and to hear what he
has to say for himself."

"You will hear that at the Bench on Wednesday."

"It will not be the same thing."

"I should hope not!"

"You see," said Rachel, perplexed and grievously wanting time to rally
her forces, "I cannot but feel that I have trusted too easily, and
perhaps been to blame myself for my implicit confidence, and after that
it revolts me to throw the whole blame on another."

"If you have been a simpleton, does that make him an honest man?" said
Mr. Grey, impatiently.

"No," said Rachel, "but--"

"What?"

"My credulity may have caused his dishonesty," she said, bringing, at
last, the words to serve the idea.

"Look you here, Rachel," said Mr. Grey, constraining him