wl; and Grace, to
avert a hot discussion, begged the doctor not to go into that question,
but to tell her how Mr. Little was.

"Oh, he has received some severe contusions, but there is nothing
serious. He is in good hands, I assure you. I met him out walking with
his nurse; and I must say I never saw a handsomer couple. He is dark;
she is fair. She is like the ancient statues of Venus, massive and
grand, but not clumsy; he is lean and sinewy, as a man ought to be."

"Oh, doctor, this from you?" said Grace, with undisguised spite.

"Well, it WAS a concession. He was leaning on her shoulder, and her
face and downcast eyes were turned toward him so sweetly--said I to
myself--Hum!"

"What!" said Raby. "Would you marry him to a farmer's daughter?"

"No; I'd let him marry whom he likes; only, having seen him and his
nurse together, it struck me that, between two such fine creatures of
the same age, the tender relation of patient and nurse, sanctioned, as I
hear it is, by a benevolent uncle--"

"Confound your impudence!"

"--Would hardly stop there. What do you think, Miss Carden?"

"I'll tell you, if you will promise, on your honor, never to repeat what
I say." And she slackened her pace, and lingered behind Mr. Raby.

He promised her.

"Then," she whispered in his ear, "I HATE YOU!"

And her eyes flashed blue fire at him, and startled him.

Then she darted forward, and took Mr. Raby's arm, with a scarlet face,
and a piteous deprecating glance shot back at the sagacious personage
she had defied.

Dr. Amboyne proceeded instantly to put himself in this young lady's
place, and so divine what was the matter. The familiar process soon
brought a knowing smile to his sly lip.

They entered the church, and went straight to the forge.

Raby stood with folded arms, and contemplated the various acts of
sacrilege with a silent distress that was really touching.

Amboyne took more interest in the traces of the combat. "Ah!" said he,
"this is where he threw the hot coals in their faces--he has told me all
about it. And look at this pool of blood on the floor! Here he felled
one of them with his shovel. What is this? traces of blood leading up to
this chest!"

He opened the chest, and found plain proofs inside that the wounded man
had hid himself in it for some time. He pointed this out to Raby; and
gave it as his opinion that the man's confederates had come back for
him, and carried him away. "These fellows are very tr