can
you be such a cruel fellow!"

"Hold your tongue, will you, and don't be a fool," was the husky reply.
"I'm going to have you away from here, Jenny, in a few days, and then
his proudship shall have some letters as shall make him pay me to hold
my tongue, or else have all his pride tumbling about his ears."

"Oh, you wicked wretch!" muttered Jane to herself, for his words roused
her slumbering resentment, and drove her troubles away for the present.

"Can you hear all I say?" whispered the voice from below.

"Yes," whispered Jane again; "but what do you want? Oh, pray, pray go!"

"Yes," said Gurdon. "I'll go when I've done; but I want to talk to you
first. Who's at home? Is he here?"

"Who? Master? Yes," whispered Jane, "and the doctor, and my lady's pa:
they're all here, for she's been very bad to-night."

"But are they all gone to bed?" whispered Gurdon.

"Yes, all but Mrs Elstree, who's sitting up in my lady's room."

"Come down then, softly, into the passage and open the lobby door; you
can let me in then, through the billiard-room."

"That I'm sure I'm not going to!" exclaimed Jane, indignantly, "and you
ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking me such a thing. It isn't
like you, John."

"Hold your tongue, will you!" he exclaimed, gruffly. "Do you want to be
heard, and have me shot by one of the keepers, or some one fire at me
from one of the windows?"

"N-n-no," gasped Jane; "but pray do go; pray, dear John, go away!"

"Ah, you're very anxious to get rid of me now," said Gurdon, sneeringly,
for he could hear that Jane was sobbing; "I may go now, just because I
made a slip, and you want to see me no more. It's the way of the
world."

"No--no; don't talk like that," cried Jane, "for you know I don't
deserve it; but pray, for both our sakes, go away at once. Write to me
and say what you want."

"I shan't do nothing of the kind!" hissed Gurdon, angrily. "You do as I
tell you: come down and let me in, or it'll be the worse for you. I
want to talk to you so as I can't talk here. I've got a deal to say
about the future."

"I don't care, and I won't!" said Jane, excitedly, for anger roused in
her anger in return. At such times she did not at all feel afraid of
John Gurdon, nor of his threats, but was ready to meet him with open
resistance. "I'm not going to do any such thing, so there now! It's
more than my place is worth, and you know it, John. And besides, it
wouldn't be seemly