one
events will be obviated."

"A very sensible way, lad. You will understand, of course, that I know
enough of Jeremiah to be quite sure that he would not relinquish a fine
property if he had a leg to stand upon. However, that is no business of
mine, and I have no doubt that the fact that he is going to be your
father-in-law, has had no small influence in bringing about this very
admirable arrangement. Of course the matter will make a good deal of
talk, but these things soon die out, and the county will welcome you
back too heartily to care how your return has been brought about. You
can rely upon my action in the part of town-crier, and I am sure to some
of my patients the flutter of excitement the news will occasion will do
a great deal more good than any medicine I could give them. Of course
you are going to stay here?"

"Only to dinner, Doctor. I shall run up to town again this evening."

CHAPTER XXI.

It was on the last day of March that Cuthbert Hartington reached Paris.
During the six weeks that had elapsed since he had left it many events
had taken place. He himself had gone away a comparatively poor man, and
returned in the possession of the estates inherited from his father,
unimpaired save by the mortgage given upon them by Mr. Brander. He had
succeeded beyond his hopes; and having obtained unlooked-for proofs of
the fraud that had been practised, had been able to obtain
restitution--which was to him the most important point--and all had been
done without the slightest publicity. In Paris, the danger he had
foreseen had culminated in the Commune. The battalions of National
Guards from Montmartre and Belleville had risen against the Provisional
Government; the troops had fraternized with them and their generals had
been murdered in cold blood.

The National Guards of the business quarters had for a time held aloof,
but, in the absence of support from without and being enormously
outnumbered, they were powerless, and the extreme party were now in
absolute possession of the city. M. Thiers and the Assembly at
Versailles had so far been unable to take any steps to reduce the
revolted capital. Such troops as had been hastily collected could not be
relied upon to act and it seemed probable that the National Guards and
Paris would, in a short time, take the offensive and obtain possession
of Versailles, in which case the flame of insurrection would spread at
once to all the great towns of France, and