what had ensued; and they were compelled to
let her go just as she was, without giving her any information, for they
had a vivid recollection of the serious disturbance she had created on a
former occasion, when she had actually headed a mob, for the purpose of
hunting out Varney, the vampyre, from Bannerworth Hall, and putting an
end consequently, as she considered, to that set of circumstances which
kept the doctor so much from his house, to the great detriment of a not
very extensive practice.

"After all," said Flora, "Mrs. Chillingworth, although she is not the
most refined person in the world, is to be pitied."

"What!" cried the admiral; "Miss Doll's-eyes, are you taking her part?"

"Oh, that's nothing. She may call me what she likes."

"I believe she is a good wife to the doctor," said Henry,
"notwithstanding his little eccentricities; but suppose we now at once
make the proposal we were thinking of to Sir Francis Varney, and so get
him to leave England as quickly as possible and put an end to the
possibility of his being any more trouble to anybody."

"Agreed--agreed. It's the best thing that can be done, and it will be
something gained to get his consent at once."

"I'll run up stairs to him," said Charles, "and call him down at once. I
scarcely doubt for a moment his acquiescence in the proposal."

Charles Holland rose, and ran up the little staircase of the cottage to
the room which, by the kindness of the Bannerworth family, had been
devoted to the use of Varney. He had not been gone above two minutes,
when he returned, hastily, with a small scrap of paper in his hand,
which he laid before Henry, saying,--

"There, what think you of that?"

Henry, upon taking up the paper, saw written upon it the words,--

"_The Farewell of Varney the Vampyre_."

"He is gone," said Charles Holland. "The room is vacant. I saw at a
glance that he had removed his hat, and cloak, and all that belonged to
him. He's off, and at so short a warning, and in so abrupt a manner,
that I fear the worst."

"What can you fear?"

"I scarcely know what; but we have a right to fear everything and
anything from his most inexplicable being, whose whole conduct has been
of that mysterious nature, as to put him past all calculation as regards
his motives, his objects, or his actions. I must confess that I would
have hailed his departure from England with feelings of satisfaction;
but what he means now, by this strange manoeuvre, H