er's. Is not this a pretty fellow to talk as big as you have heard
him now?'

'And as I heard him last night,' said Arthur Gride; 'as I heard him last
night when he sneaked into my house, and--he! he! he!--very soon sneaked
out again, when I nearly frightened him to death. And HE wanting to
marry Miss Madeline too! Oh dear! Is there anything else he'd like?
Anything else we can do for him, besides giving her up? Would he like
his debts paid and his house furnished, and a few bank notes for shaving
paper if he shaves at all? He! he! he!'

'You will remain, girl, will you?' said Ralph, turning upon Kate again,
'to be hauled downstairs like a drunken drab, as I swear you shall if
you stop here? No answer! Thank your brother for what follows. Gride,
call down Bray--and not his daughter. Let them keep her above.'

'If you value your head,' said Nicholas, taking up a position before the
door, and speaking in the same low voice in which he had spoken before,
and with no more outward passion than he had before displayed; 'stay
where you are!'

'Mind me, and not him, and call down Bray,' said Ralph.

'Mind yourself rather than either of us, and stay where you are!' said
Nicholas.

'Will you call down Bray?' cried Ralph.

'Remember that you come near me at your peril,' said Nicholas.

Gride hesitated. Ralph being, by this time, as furious as a baffled
tiger, made for the door, and, attempting to pass Kate, clasped her arm
roughly with his hand. Nicholas, with his eyes darting fire, seized him
by the collar. At that moment, a heavy body fell with great violence
on the floor above, and, in an instant afterwards, was heard a most
appalling and terrific scream.

They all stood still, and gazed upon each other. Scream succeeded
scream; a heavy pattering of feet succeeded; and many shrill voices
clamouring together were heard to cry, 'He is dead!'

'Stand off!' cried Nicholas, letting loose all the passion he had
restrained till now; 'if this is what I scarcely dare to hope it is, you
are caught, villains, in your own toils.'

He burst from the room, and, darting upstairs to the quarter from whence
the noise proceeded, forced his way through a crowd of persons who quite
filled a small bed-chamber, and found Bray lying on the floor quite
dead; his daughter clinging to the body.

'How did this happen?' he cried, looking wildly about him.

Several voices answered together, that he had been observed, through
the half-opened