er?'

'In the house. My dear,' catching hold of her, and speaking
breathlessly, 'I came out to prepare you. He is come--your father--'

'Where?' cried Nuttie, rather wildly.

'He is in the drawing-room with your mother. I said I would send you.'
Poor Miss Headworth gasped with agitation. 'Oh! where's Mr.
Dutton--not that anything can be done--'

'Is it _that man_?' asked Nuttie, and getting no answer, 'I know it is!
Oh Aunt Ursel, how could you leave her with him? I must go and protect
her. Gerard--come. No, go and fetch Mr. Dutton.'

'Hush! hush, Nuttie,' cried her aunt, grasping her. 'You know nothing
about it. Wait here till I can tell you.'

'Come in here, dear Miss Headworth,' said Mary, gently drawing her arm
into hers, for the poor old lady could hardly stand for trembling, and
bidding Gerard open the door of her own house with the latch-key.

She took them into the dining-room, so as not to disturb her mother,
sent Gerard off after Mr. Dutton in the very uttermost astonishment and
bewilderment, and set Miss Headworth down in an easy-chair, where she
recovered herself, under Mary's soothing care, enough to tell her story
in spite of Nuttie's exclamations. 'Wait! wait, Nuttie! You mustn't
burst in on them so! No, you need not be afraid. Don't be a silly
child! He won't hurt her! Oh no! They are quite delighted to meet.'

'Delighted to meet?' said Nuttie, as if transfixed.

'Yes,' said her aunt. 'Oh yes, I always knew the poor child cared for
him and tried to believe in him all along. He only had to say the
word.'

'I wouldn't,' cried the girl, her eyes flashing. 'Why didn't you ask
him how he could desert her and leave her?'

'My dear! how can one come between husband and wife? Oh, my poor
Alice!'

'How was it, how did they meet, dear Miss Headworth?' asked Mary,
administering the wine she had been pouring out.

'You hadn't been gone half an hour, Alice was reading to me, and I was
just dozing, when in came Louisa. "A gentleman to see Mrs. Egremont,"
she said, and there he was just behind. We rose up--she did not know
him at once, but he just said "Edda, my little Edda, sweeter than ever,
I knew you at once," or something of that sort, and she gave one little
cry of "I knew you would come," and sprang right into his arms.
I--well, I meant to make him understand how he had treated her, but
just as I began "Sir"--he came at me with his hand outstretched--'

'You didn't take it,