nt the marriage in his resentment at finding
the daughter of an old friend engaged to the author who had
caricatured him, and his only feeling now was of complete reaction;
the young man was perfectly innocent, and his nephew Harold had
suspected it all this time and never said a word to enlighten him. So
now the old gentleman came in a spirit of violent repentance which
would not allow him to rest until he had re-established his old
relations with his favourite Mabel. She was only too glad to find the
coolness at an end, and he was just expressing his opinion of the part
his nephew had taken, when, to Mabel's dismay, Mr. Lightowler was
announced.

She wished with all her heart that Mark had not happened to be out, as
she glanced apprehensively at her second visitor's face; and yet, as
she saw almost at once, he came in peace--there was none of the
displeasure on his big face which she had expected to see there; on
the contrary, it was expanded with a sort of satisfaction.

Mr. Humpage rose as soon as the other had seated himself. 'Well, my
dear,' he said, lowering his voice as he eyed his enemy with strong
disfavour, 'it's time I went, I dare say. As to what I was saying
about my scamp of a nephew--I only hope _I_ did nothing to encourage
him in the disgraceful way he chose to act; I never meant to, I assure
you. But he won't trouble you any more for a little time, for I
understand he's on his way with one of these theatrical companies to
America, and I hope he'll stay there--he'll get nothing out of me, I'm
ashamed of the fellow, and heartily glad his poor mother was taken
when she was.'

He had spoken rather louder in his excitement, and Uncle Solomon
overheard it, and struck in immediately. 'What, has that nephew of
yours been turning out bad, hey?' he cried; he was quite a child of
nature in his utter freedom from all conventional restraints, as may
have been perceived before this. 'You don't say so, Humpage? Now I'm
sorry to year it; I really am sorry to year that! Not but what, if you
look into it, you'll find there's been a backwardness in doing one's
duty somewhere about, yer know. P'raps, if you'd been more of an uncle
to him, now, if you don't mind my saying so, he'd have turned out
different. You should have kept a tighter hand on him, and as likely
as not he wouldn't have felt the temptation to go wrong.'

'I was speaking to Mrs. Ashburn, Mr. Lightowler,' said the other,
turning round with a rather ugl