much as I've heard of," said Elsworthy, with a
little confusion. He was tying up his newspapers as usual, but it did
not require the touch of suspicion and anxiety which gave sharpness to
the Curate's eyes to make it apparent that the cord was trembling in
Mr Elsworthy's hand. "I hope you've had a pleasant journey, sir, and a
comfortable visit--it's been but short--but we always miss you in
Carlingford, Mr Wentworth, if it was only for a day."

"I'll take my paper," said the young man, who was not satisfied--"so
there's no news, isn't there?--all well, and everything going on as
usual?" And the look which the suspicious Curate bent upon Mr
Elsworthy made that virtuous individual, as he himself described it,
"shake in his shoes."

"Much as usual, sir," said the frightened clerk,--"nothing new as I
hear of but gossip, and that aint a thing to interest a clergyman.
There's always one report or another flying about, but them follies
aint for your hearing. Nothing more," continued Mr Elsworthy,
conscious of guilt, and presenting a very tremulous countenance to the
inspection of his suspicious auditor, "not if it was my last
word--nothing but gossip, as you wouldn't care to hear."

"I might possibly care to hear if it concerned myself," said the
Curate,--"or anybody I am interested in," he added, after a little
pause, with rather a forced smile--which convinced Mr Elsworthy that
his clergyman had heard all about Rosa, and that the days of his
incumbency as clerk of St Roque's were numbered.

"Well, sir, if you did hear, it aint no blame of mine," said the
injured bookseller; "such a notion would never have come into my
mind--no man, I make bold to say, is more particular about keeping to
his own rank of life nor me. What you did, sir, you did out of the
kindness of your heart, and I'd sooner sell up and go off to the end
of the world than impose upon a gentleman. Her aunt's took her away,"
continued Mr Elsworthy, lowering his voice, and cautiously pointing
to the back of the shop--"She'll not bother you no more."

"She!--who?" cried the Perpetual Curate, in sudden consternation. He
was utterly bewildered by the introduction of a female actor into the
little drama, and immediately ran over in his mind all the women he
could think of who could, by any possibility, be involved in
mysterious relations with his brother Jack.

"She's but a child," said Elsworthy, pathetically; "she don't know
nothing about the ways o' the w