n his wife and daughter spoke to him in their soft accents, he
returned short, surly answers. Evidently a storm was brewing.

At last it burst. He had heard of Ruperta's repeated visits to
Huntercombe Hall. "You are not dealing fairly with me, you two," said
he. "I allowed you to go once to see a woman that says she is very ill;
but I warned you she was the cunningest woman in creation, and would
make a fool of you both; and now I find you are always going. This will
not do. She is netting two simple birds that I have the care of. Now,
listen to me; I forbid you two ever to set foot in that house again. Do
you hear me?"

"We hear you, papa," said Mrs. Bassett, quietly; "we must be deaf, if
we did not."

Ruperta kept her countenance with difficulty.

"It is not a request, it is a command."

Mrs. Bassett for once in her life fired up. "And a most tyrannical
one," said she.

Ruperta put her hand before her mother's mouth, then turned to her
father.

"There was no need to express your wish so harshly, papa. We shall
obey."

Then she whispered her mother, "And Mr. Rutland shall pay for it."

Mrs. Bassett communicated this behest to Lady Bassett in a letter.

Then Lady Bassett summoned all her courage, and sent for her son
Compton. "Compton," said she, "I must speak to Reginald. Can you find
him?"

"Oh yes, I can find him. I am sorry to say anybody can find him at this
time of day."

"Why, where is he?"

"I hardly like to tell you."

"Do you think his peculiarities have escaped me?"

"At the public-house."

"Ask him to come to me."

Compton went to the public-house, and there, to his no small disgust,
found Mr. Reginald Bassett playing the fiddle, and four people, men and
women, dancing to the sound, while one or two more smoked and looked
on.

Compton restrained himself till the end of that dance, and then stepped
up to Reginald and whispered him, "Mamma wants to see you directly."

"Tell her I'm busy."

"I shall tell her nothing of the kind. You know she is very ill, and
has not seen you yet; and now she wants to. So come along at once, like
a good fellow."

"Youngster," said Reginald, "it is a rule with me never to leave a
young woman for an old one."

"Not for your mother?"

"No, nor my grandmother either."

"Then you were born without a heart. But you shall come, whether you
like it or not--though I have to drag you there by the throat."

"Learn to spell 'able' first."

"I'll spe