g had been heard of her that morning. Being told that
Mrs. Payson had written, and that the doors of the institution were
closed to her, she recovered her spirits, and began to wonder whether
the offended authorities would let her have her clothes. Toff offered
to go and make the inquiry, later in the day; suggesting the purchase
of slippers and stockings, in the mean time, while Sally was having her
breakfast. Amelius approved of the suggestion; and Toff set off on his
errand, with one of Sally's boots for a pattern.

The morning had, by that time, advanced to ten o'clock.

Amelius stood before the fire talking, while Sally had her breakfast.
Having first explained the reasons which made it impossible that she
should live at the cottage in the capacity of his servant, he astonished
her by announcing that he meant to undertake the superintendence of her
education himself. They were to be master and pupil, while the lessons
were in progress; and brother and sister at other times--and they were
to see how they got on together, on this plan, without indulging in
any needless anxiety about the future. Amelius believed with perfect
sincerity that he had hit on the only sensible arrangement, under the
circumstances; and Sally cried joyously, "Oh, how good you are to me;
the happy life has come at last!" At the hour when those words passed
the daughter's lips, the discovery of the conspiracy burst upon the
mother in all its baseness and in all its horror.

The suspicion of her infamous employer, which had induced Mrs. Sowler to
attempt to intrude herself into Phoebe's confidence, led her to make a
visit of investigation at Jervy's lodgings later in the day. Informed,
as Phoebe had been informed, that he was not at home, she called again
some hours afterwards. By that time, the landlord had discovered that
Jervy's luggage had been secretly conveyed away, and that his tenant had
left him, in debt for rent of the two best rooms in the house.

No longer in any doubt of what had happened, Mrs. Sowler employed the
remaining hours of the evening in making inquiries after the missing
man. Not a trace of him had been discovered up to eight o'clock on the
next morning.

Shortly after nine o'clock--that is to say, towards the hour at which
Phoebe paid her visit to Amelius--Mrs. Sowler, resolute to know the
worst, made her appearance at the apartments occupied by Mrs. Farnaby.

"I wish to speak to you," she began abruptly, "about tha