him and smiled assent. She felt a great deal
more at her ease after this opening.

"I dare not advise you yet. I must know more than Mr. Angelo has told
me. Will you answer my questions frankly?"

"I will try, sir."

"Whose idea was it confining Sir Charles Bassett to the house so much?"

"His own. He felt himself unfit for society."

"Did he describe his ailment to you then?"

"Yes."

"All the better; what did he say?"

"He said that, at times, a cloud seemed to come into his head, and then
he lost all power of mind; and he could not bear to be seen in that
condition."

"This was after the epileptic seizure?"

"Yes, sir."

"Humph! Now will you tell me how Mr. Bassett, by mere words, could so
enrage Sir Charles as to give him a fit?"

Lady Bassett hesitated.

"What did he say to Sir Charles?"

"He did not speak to him. His child and nurse were there, and he called
out loud, for Sir Charles to hear, and told the nurse to hold up his
child to look at his inheritance."

"Malicious fool! But did this enrage Sir Charles so much as to give him
a fit?"

"Yes."

"He must be very sensitive."

"On that subject."

Mr. Rolfe was silent; and now, for the first time, appeared to think
intently.

His study bore fruit, apparently; for he turned to Lady Bassett and
said, suddenly, "What is the strangest thing Sir Charles has said of
late--the very strangest?"

Lady Bassett turned red, and then pale, and made no reply.

Mr. Rolfe rose and walked up to Mary Wells.

"What is the maddest thing your master has ever said?"

Mary Wells, instead of replying, looked at her mistress.

The writer instantly put his great body between them. "Come, none of
that," said he. "I don't want a falsehood--I want the truth."

"La, sir, I don't know. My master he is not mad, I'm sure. The queerest
thing he ever said was--he did say at one time 'twas writ on his face
as he had no children."

"Ah! And that is why he would not go abroad, perhaps."

"That was one reason, sir, I do suppose." Mr. Rolfe put his hands
behind his back and walked thoughtfully and rather disconsolately back
to his seat.

"Humph!" said he. Then, after a pause, "Well, well; I know the worst
now; that is one comfort. Lady Bassett, you really must be candid with
me. Consider: good advice is like a tight glove; it fits the
circumstances, and it does not fit other circumstances. No man advises
so badly on a false and partial statement as I do, for the