cious and decidedly ungrateful thing in him
not to throw in his means, or at any rate, offer his guarantee to tide
them over their difficulties. Goodenough's tergiversations and
concealments needed a practised hand and acute head to unravel them,
and often deceived Mr. Greenleaf himself; and when, for a time, he was
convinced that the whole state was so rotten that a crash was
inevitable, his wife's lamentations and complaints of Mr. Dutton would
undo the whole, and it was as if he were doing them an injury that the
pair accepted the comfortable prospect he was able to offer them in
Australia.

He would have made the like proposal to the Egremonts, but found that
Mark held himself bound by his promise to his father not to emigrate,
and thought of some kind of office-work. Before trying to procure this
for him, however, Mr. Dutton intended to see his uncle, and try whether
the agency, once rejected, could still be obtained for him. Learning
from Miss Nugent that the Egremonts were in town, he went up thither
with the purpose of asking for an interview.

There was a new church in the immediate neighbourhood of his house in a
state of growth and development congenial to the St. Ambrose trained
mind, and here Mr. Dutton, after old Micklethwayte custom, was
attending the early matins, when, in the alternate verses of the psalm,
he heard a fresh young voice that seemed to renew those days gone by,
and looking across the central aisle his eyes met a pair of dark ones
which gave a sudden glitter of gladness at the encounter. That was all
he saw or cared to see. He did not take in the finished completeness
of the very plain dark dress and hat, nor the womanly air of the little
figure, until they clasped hands in the porch, and in the old tones
Nuttie exclaimed: 'I've been hoping you would come to London. How is
Monsieur?'

'In high health, thank you, the darling of the steamer both going and
coming. I hope your charges are well?'

'My father is tolerable, just as usual, and my little Alwyn is getting
more delicious every day. He will be so delighted to see Monsieur. I
have told him so many stories about him!'

'Do you think I may call on Mr. Egremont?'

'Oh do! He is ready to be called on between two and three, and we
always have Wynnie downstairs then, so that you will see him too. And
you have been at Micklethwayte. I am afraid you found a great change
in Aunt Ursel.'

'Yes; but she is very peaceful and happ