f a sudden. "It is not my son," said she.

She rushed out of the place, bade Mr. Bayne good-morning, and drove
directly to Dr. Amboyne. She attacked him at once. "You have been
deceiving me all this time about my son; and what am I the better? What
is anybody the better? Now tell me the truth. You think him dead?"

(Dr. Amboyne hung his head in alarm and confusion.)

"Why do you think so? Do you go by those remains? I have seen them.
My child was vaccinated on the left arm, and carried the mark. He had
specks on two of his finger-nails; he had a small wart on his little
finger; and his fingers were not blunt and uncouth, like that; they were
as taper as any lady's in England; that hand is nothing like my son's;
you are all blind; yet you must go and blind the only one who had eyes,
the only one who really loved him, and whose opinion is worth a straw."

Dr. Amboyne was too delighted at the news to feel these reproaches very
deeply. "Thank God!" said he. "Scold me, for I deserve it. But I did for
the best; but, unfortunately, we have still to account for his writing
to no one all this time. No matter. I begin to hope. THAT was the worst
evidence. Edith, I must go to Woodbine Villa. That poor girl must not
marry in ignorance of this. Believe me, she will never marry Coventry,
if HE is alive. Excuse my leaving you at such a time, but there is not a
moment to be lost."

He placed her on a sofa, and opened the window; for, by a natural
reaction, she was beginning to feel rather faint. He gave his
housekeeper strict orders to take care of her, then snatching his hat,
went hastily out.

At the door he met the footman with several letters (he had a large
correspondence), shoved them pell-mell into his breast-pocket, shouted
to a cabman stationed near, and drove off to Woodbine Villa.

It was rather up-hill, but he put his head out of the window and offered
the driver a sovereign to go fast. The man lashed his horse up the hill,
and did go very fast, though it seemed slow to Dr. Amboyne, because his
wishes flew so much faster.

At last he got to the villa, and rang furiously.

After a delay that set the doctor stamping, Lally appeared.

"I must see Miss Carden directly."

"Step in, sir; she won't be long now."

Dr. Amboyne walked into the dining-room, and saw it adorned with a
wealth of flowers, and the wedding-breakfast set out with the usual
splendor; but there was nobody there; and immediately an uneasy
suspic