n the mother.

'You are surprised to see me at this time,' he said; 'but Mrs.
Rudden is perplexed by a communication from you.'

'Mrs. Rudden!' exclaimed Arthurine. 'Why, I only sent her word that
I was too busy to go through her accounts to-day, and asked her to
come to-morrow. That isn't against the laws of the Medes and
Persians, is it?'

'Then did you send her this letter?'

'I?' said Arthurine, staring at it, with her eyes at their fullest
extent. 'I! fifty pounds! Mr. Foxholm! What does it mean?'

'Then you never wrote that order?'

'No! no! How should I?'

'That is not your writing?'

'No, not that.'

'Look at the signature.'

'Oh! oh! oh!'--and she dropped into a chair. 'The horrible man!
That's the autograph I gave him this afternoon.'

'You are sure?'

'Quite; for my pen spluttered in the slope of the A. Has she gone
and given it to him?'

'No. She brought it to me, and set the policeman to watch him.'

'What a dear, good woman! Shall you send him to prison, Admiral
Merrifield? What can be done to him?' said Arthurine, not looking
at all as if she would like to abrogate capital punishment.

'Well, I had been thinking,' said the Admiral. 'You see he did not
get it, and though I could commit him for endeavouring to obtain
money on false pretences, I very much doubt whether the prosecution
would not be worse for you than for him.'

'That is very kind of you, Admiral!' exclaimed the mother. 'It
would be terribly awkward for dear Arthurine to stand up and say he
cajoled her into giving her autograph. It might always be
remembered against her!'

'Exactly so,' said the Admiral; 'and perhaps there may be another
reason for not pushing the matter to extremity. The man is a
stranger here, I believe.'

'He has been staying at Bonchamp,' said Mrs. Arthuret. 'It was
young Mr. Mytton who brought him over this afternoon.'

'Just so. And how did he come to be aware that Mrs. Rudden owed you
any money?'

There was a pause, then Arthurine broke out--

'Oh, Daisy and Pansy can't have done anything; but they were all
three there helping me mark the tennis-courts when the message
came.'

'Including the brother?'

'Yes.'

'He is a bad fellow, and I would not wish to shield him in any way,
but that such a plot should be proved against him would be a
grievous disgrace to the family.'

'I can't ever feel about them as I have done,' said Arthurine, in
tears. 'Daisy and Pansy said s