re of this matter than you do?"

Gibson shook his head, and replied, "As to that, Sir Thomas, I cannot
say."

The baronet was not now in a rage. The thing was impossible; not within
the energies of nature. He was stunned, stupefied, rendered helpless.

"I think," he proceeded, "I observed a girl named Nancy--I forget what
else, Nancy something--that Miss Gourlay seemed to like a good deal.
Send her here. But before you do so, may I beg to know why her father,
her natural guardian and protector, was kept so long in ignorance of her
extraordinary disappearance? Pray, Mr. Gibson, satisfy me on that head?"

"I think, sir," replied Gibson, most un-gallantly shifting the danger
of the explanation from his own shoulders to the pretty ones of Nancy
Forbes--"I think, sir, Nancy Forbes, the girl you speak of, may know
more about the last matter than I do."

"What do you mean by the last matter?"

"Why, sir, the reason why we did not tell your honor of it sooner--"

Sir Thomas waved his hand. "Go," he added, "send her here."

"D--n the old scoundrel," thought Gibson to himself; "but that's a fine
piece of acting. Why, if he hadn't been aware of it all along he would
have thrown me clean out of the window, even as the messenger of such
tidings. However, he is not so deep as he thinks himself. We know
him--see through him--on this subject at least."

When Nancy entered, her master gave her one of those stern, searching
looks which often made his unfortunate menials tremble before him.

"What's your name, my good girl?"

"Nancy Forbes, sir."

"How long have you been in this family?"

"I'm in the first month of my second quarter, your honor," with a
courtesy.

"You are a pretty girl."

Nancy, with another courtesy, and a simper, which vanity, for the life
of her, could not suppress, "Oh la, sir, how could your honor say such
a thing of a humble girl like me? You that sees so many handsome great
ladies."

"Have you a sweetheart?"

Nancy fairly tittered. "Is it me, sir--why, who would think of the like
of me? Not one, sir, ever I had."

"Because, if you have," he proceeded, "and that I approve of him, I
wouldn't scruple much to give you something that might enable you and
your husband to begin the world with comfort."

"I'm sure it's very kind, your honor, but I never did anything to
desarve so much goodness at your honor's hands."

"The old villain wants to bribe me for something," thought Nancy.

"Well, but