fuse and mystify Arthur, till stocks,
preference-shares, consols, and mortgages were all whirling in his
bewildered brain. Having satisfactorily reduced him to this condition,
he suddenly sprang upon him the proposal he had in view with reference
to the Jotley mortgage, pointing out to him that it was an excellent
investment, and strongly advising him, "as a friend," to leave the
money upon the land. Arthur hesitated a little, more from natural
caution than anything he could urge to the contrary, and George,
noticing it, said,

"It is only right that, before you come to any decision, you should
see the map of the estate, and a copy of the deed. I have both in the
next room, if you care to come and look at them."

Arthur assented, and they went off together; Sir John, whose eyes
appeared to be a little heavy under the influence of the port,
presuming that he was not wanted. But, no sooner had the door closed,
than the worthy knight proved himself very wide-awake. Indeed, he
commenced a singular course of action. Advancing on tiptoe to the safe
in the corner of the room, he closely inspected it through his
eyeglass. Then he cautiously tried the lid of an artfully contrived
subdivision.

"Um!" he muttered, half aloud, "that's where they are; I wish I had
ten minutes."

Next he returned swiftly to the table, and, taking a piece of the soft
bread which he was eating instead of biscuit with his wine, he rapidly
kneaded it into dough, and, going to the safe, divided the material
into two portions. One portion he carefully pressed upon the keyhole
of the subdivision, and then, extracting the key of the safe itself,
took a very fair impress of its wards on the other. This done, he
carefully put the pieces of dough in his breast-pocket in such a way
that they were not likely to be crushed, and, with a smile of
satisfaction, returned to his chair, helped himself to a glass of
port, and dozed off.

"Hullo, Bellamy, gone to sleep! Wake up, man. We have settled this
business about the mortgage. Will you write to Mr. Borley, and convey
Mr. Heigham's decision? And perhaps"--addressing Arthur--"you will do
the same on your own account."

"Certainly I will write, Caresfoot; and now I think that I must be
off. Her ladyship does not like having to sit up for me."

George laughed in a peculiarly insulting way.

"I don't think she would care much, Bellamy, if you stayed away all
night. But look here, tell her I want to see her to-