the other. For sixteen hours of every
day, far better had I be dead than living, so far as our own little
insolence may judge. But I speak of it only to excuse bad manners, and
perhaps I show worse by doing so. I shall not be able to see you again
until to-morrow morning. Do not go; they will arrange all that. Send a
note to Major Hockin by Stixon's boy. Stixon and Mrs. Price will see to
your comfort, if those who are free from pain require any other comfort.
Forgive me; I did not mean to be rude. Sometimes I can not help giving
way."

Less enviable than the poorest slave, Lord Castlewood sank upon his hard
stiff chair, and straightened his long narrow hands upon his knees, and
set his thin lips in straight blue lines. Each hand was as rigid as the
ivory handle of an umbrella or walking-stick, and his lips were like
clamped wire. This was his regular way of preparing for the onset of
the night, so that no grimace, no cry, no moan, or other token of fierce
agony should be wrung from him.

"My lord will catch it stiff to-night," said Mr. Stixon, who came as I
rang, and then led me away to the drawing-room; "he always have it ten
times worse after any talking or any thing to upset him like. And so,
then, miss--excuse a humble servant--did I understand from him that you
was the Captain's own daughter?"

"Yes; but surely your master wants you--he is in such dreadful pain. Do
please to go to him, and do something."

"There is nothing to be done, miss," Stixon answered, with calm
resignation; "he is bound to stay so for sixteen hours, and then
he eases off again. But bless my heart, miss--excuse me in your
presence--his lordship is thoroughly used to it. It is my certain
knowledge that for seven years now he has never had seven minutes free
from pain--seven minutes all of a heap, I mean. Some do say, miss, as
the Lord doeth every thing according to His righteousness, that the
reason is not very far to seek."

I asked him what he meant, though I ought, perhaps, to have put a stop
to his loquacity; and he pretended not to hear, which made me ask him
all the more.

"A better man never lived than my lord," he answered, with a little
shock at my misprision; "but it has been said among censoorous persons
that nobody ever had no luck as came in suddenly to a property and a
high state of life on the top of the heads of a family of seven."

"What a poor superstition!" I cried, though I was not quite sure of its
being a wicked