astening towards the window, pressed her hands
to her face.

"If you could tell me where I would be likely to hear of him,--what are
his haunts in town--"

"He has none,--none whatever. He has entirely ceased to visit any of his
former friends; even Mr. Beecher he has not called on for months long."

"Has he business engagements in any quarter that you know of?"

"None now. He did hold an office in the Customs, but he does so no
longer. It is possible--just possible--he might have called at Mr.
Dunn's, but he could not have been detained there so late as this. And
if he were--" She stopped, confused and embarrassed.

"As to that," said he, catching at her difficulty with ready tact, "I
could easily pretend it was my own anxiety that caused the visit. I
could tell him it was likely I should soon see Jack again, and ask of
him to let me be the bearer of some kind message to him."

"Yes, yes," muttered Bella, half vacantly; for he had only given to his
words the meaning of a mere pretext.

"I think you may trust to me that I will manage the matter delicately.
He shall never suspect that he has given any uneasiness by his absence."

"But even this," said she, eagerly, "condemns me to some hours longer of
feverish misery. You cannot possibly go back to town and return here in
less than two--perhaps three hours."

"I 'll try and do it in half the time," said Conway, rising, and taking
his cap. "Where does Mr. Dunn live?"

"In Menion Square. I forget the number, but it does not matter; every
one knows his house. It is on the north side."

"You shall see me before--What o'clock is it now?"

"Half-past eight," said she, shuddering, as she saw how late it was.

"Before eleven, I promise you confidently,--and earlier if I can."

"You know my father so very little--so very recently," said Sybella,
with some confusion, "that it may be necessary to guard you,--that is,
you ought to be made aware that on this day the estate our family has
held for centuries was sold. It is true we are no poorer than we were
yesterday; the property we called our own, and from habit believed to
be such, had been mortgaged this many a year. Why or how we ever
fancied that one day or other we should be in a position to pay off the
encumbrances, I cannot tell you; but it is true that we did so fancy,
and used to talk of that happy event as of one we felt to be in store
for us. Well, the blow has fallen at last, and demolished all our
castle