magination to be permitted, so she dressed and went down,
looking like a ghost. Mr. Egremont scowled at Nuttie, Nuttie scowled
at him, each considering it the fault of the other, and when at last it
was over, Alice gave up the struggle, and went off to bed, leaving a
contrite message that her headache would be better to-morrow.

'All your accursed folly and obstinacy,' observed Mr. Egremont, when
Nuttie, with a tone of monition gave him the message.

'I should call it the consequence of being dragged out with a sore
heart,' returned Nuttie--a little speech she had prepared ever since
she had seen how knocked up her mother was.

'Then I should recommend keeping your ideas to yourself,' he answered,
looking at her in his annihilating manner.

She was put down. She thought afterwards of a hundred things that she
could have said to him, but she was crushed for the present, and when
he went out she could only betake herself to Reata, and forget all
about it as much as she could.

When she went upstairs, at the end of the third volume, Martin was on
the watch, and would not let her go into the room.

'I have been at hand, ma'am, without her guessing it, and I am happy to
say her tears has had a free course when she was in bed. Yes, ma'am,
suppressed grief is always dangerous.'

Mrs. Egremont was still prostrate with fatigue and headache the next
day, and Nuttie had all the quiet luxuriating in reminiscences she
desired. Her father was vexed and angry, and kept out of the way, but
it must be confessed that Nuttie's spirits had so much risen by the
afternoon that it was a sore concession to consistency when she found
herself not expected at Blanche's last little afternoon dance at Lady
Kirkaldy's!

CHAPTER XX.

WOLF.

'If I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against
an honest man, I have but very little credit with your Worship.'
--II. King Henry IV.

Another cause besides Ursula's recalcitrance and her mother's ailment
contributed to disturb Mr. Egremont, and bring him home. His agent, by
name Bulfinch, a solicitor at Redcastle, came to him with irrefragable
proofs of gross peculation on the part of the bailiff who managed the
home farm which supplied the house and stables, and showed him that it
was necessary to make a thorough investigation and change of system.

In point of fact, Mr. Egremont greatly preferred being moderately
chea