mpossible to ignore the effect of such a scene upon ordinary flesh
and blood. His heart was beating loudly, and his breath came short and
quick. He turned away and walked up to the house-door, and then came
back again. "You understand me, I suppose?" he said; "and if Elsworthy
is not mad, you had better suggest to him not to lose his only chance
of recovering Rosa by vain bluster with me, who know nothing about her.
I shan't be idle in the mean time," said Mr Wentworth. All this time
Elsworthy was beating against the door, and shouting his threats into
the quiet of the morning; and Mrs Hadwin had thrown up her window, and
stood there visibly in her nightcap, trying to find out what the noise
was about, and trembling for the respectability of her house--all which
the Curate apprehended with that extraordinary swiftness and breadth of
perception which comes to men at the eventful moments of life.

"I'll do my best, sir," said Hayles, who felt that his honour was
appealed to; "but it's an awkward business for all parties, that's
what it is;" and the druggist backed out in a state of great
bewilderment, having a little struggle at the door with Elsworthy to
prevent his re-entrance. "There aint nothing to be got out of _him_,"
said Mr Hayles, as he succeeded at last in leading his friend away.
Such was the conclusion of Mr Wentworth's morning studies, and the
sermon which was to have been half written before breakfast upon that
eventful Saturday. He went back to the house, as was natural, with
very different thoughts in his mind.

CHAPTER XXVI.

The first thing Mr Wentworth did was to hasten up-stairs to
Wodehouse's room. Sarah had gone before him, and was by this time
talking to her mistress, who had left the window, and stood, still in
her nightcap, at the door of her own chamber. "It's something about
Rosa Elsworthy, ma'am," said Sarah; "she's gone off with some one,
which nothing else was to be expected; and her uncle's been a-raving
and a-raging at Mr Wentworth, which proves as a gentleman should never
take no notice of them shop-girls. I always heard as she was a bad
lot."

"Oh, Mr Wentworth--if you would excuse my nightcap," said Mrs
Hadwin--"I am so shaken and all of a tremble with that noise; I
couldn't help thinking it must be a murder at the least," said the
little old lady; "but I never could believe that there was anything
between you and--Sarah, you may go away; I should like to talk to Mr
Wentwort