ps, divine the great object. On this
day he proposed to ask Madame Goesler to make him the happiest of
men,--as he certainly would have thought himself for a time, had
she consented to put him in possession of her large income. He had
therefore padded himself with more than ordinary care,--reduced but
not obliterated the greyness of his locks,--looked carefully to the
fitting of his trousers, and spared himself those ordinary labours of
the morning which might have robbed him of any remaining spark of his
juvenility.

Madame Goesler met him more than half across the room as he entered
it. "What have you heard?" said she. Mr. Maule wore his sweetest
smile, but he had heard nothing. He could only press her hand, and
look blank,--understanding that there was something which he ought to
have heard. She thought nothing of the pressure of her hand. Apt as
she was to be conscious at an instant of all that was going on around
her, she thought of nothing now but that man's peril, and of the
truth or falsehood of the story that had been sent to her. "You have
heard nothing of Mr. Finn?"

"Not a word," said Mr. Maule, withdrawing his hand. "What has
happened to Mr. Finn?" Had Mr. Finn broken his neck it would have
been nothing to Mr. Maule. But the lady's solicitude was something to
him.

"Mr. Bonteen has been--murdered!"

"Mr. Bonteen!"

"So I hear. I thought you had come to tell me of it."

"Mr. Bonteen murdered! No;--I have heard nothing. I do not know the
gentleman. I thought you said--Mr. Finn."

"It is not known about London, then?"

"I cannot say, Madame Goesler. I have just come from home, and have
not been out all the morning. Who has--murdered him?"

"Ah! I do not know. That is what I wanted you to tell me."

"But what of Mr. Finn?"

"I also have not been out, Mr. Maule, and can give you no
information. I thought you had called because you knew that Mr. Finn
had dined here."

"Has Mr. Finn been murdered?"

"Mr. Bonteen! I said that the report was that Mr. Bonteen had been
murdered." Madame Goesler was now waxing angry,--most unreasonably.
"But I know nothing about it, and am just going out to make inquiry.
The carriage is ordered." Then she stood, expecting him to go; and
he knew that he was expected to go. It was at any rate clear to him
that he could not carry out his great design on the present occasion.
"This has so upset me that I can think of nothing else at present,
and you must, if you please,