n upon his oath, to
give an opinion. But the man who had passed him at so quick a pace
had been half a foot higher than Mealyus;--of that there could be no
doubt. Nor could there be any doubt as to the grey coat. Of course
there might be other men with grey coats besides Mr. Phineas
Finn,--and other men half a foot taller than Yosef Mealyus. And there
might be other men with that peculiarly energetic step. And the man
who hurried by him might not have been the man who murdered Mr.
Bonteen. Of all that Lord Fawn could say nothing. But what he did
say,--of that he was sure. And all those who knew him were well aware
that in his own mind he was convinced of the guilt of Phineas Finn.
And there was another man equally convinced. Mr. Maule, Senior,
remembered well the manner in which Madame Goesler spoke of Phineas
Finn in reference to the murder, and was quite sure that Phineas was
the murderer.

For a couple of days Lord Chiltern was constantly with the poor
prisoner, but after that he was obliged to return to Harrington
Hall. This he did a day after the news arrived of the death of his
brother-in-law. Both he and Lady Chiltern had promised to return
home, having left Adelaide Palliser alone in the house, and already
they had overstayed their time. "Of course I will remain with you,"
Lady Chiltern had said to her sister-in-law; but the widow had
preferred to be left alone. For these first few days,--when she must
make pretence of sorrow because her husband had died; and had such
real cause for sorrow in the miserable condition of the man she
loved,--she preferred to be alone. Who could sympathise with her now,
or with whom could she speak of her grief? Her father was talking to
her always of her money;--but from him she could endure it. She was
used to him, and could remember when he spoke to her of her forty
thousand pounds, and of her twelve hundred a year of jointure, that
it had not always been with him like that. As yet nothing had been
heard of the will, and the Earl did not in the least anticipate any
further accession of wealth from the estate of the man whom they had
all hated. But his daughter would now be a rich woman; and was yet
young, and there might still be splendour. "I suppose you won't care
to buy land," he said.

"Oh, Papa, do not talk of buying anything yet."

"But, my dear Laura, you must put your money into something. You can
get very nearly 5 per cent. from Indian Stock."

"Not yet, Papa," she