s day, whereas he was
one of the ugliest; and Madeline's father had been encumbered with no
Mary Snow. A man who had been such a fool as he, who had gone so far
out of the regular course, thinking to be wiser than other men, but
being in truth much more silly, could not look for that success and
happiness in life which men enjoy who have not been so lamentably
deficient in discretion! 'Twas thus that he lectured himself; but
still he went on thinking of Madeline Staveley.

There had been some disagreeable confusion in the house that
afternoon after Augustus had spoken to his sister. Madeline had gone
up to her own room, and had remained there, chewing the cud of her
thoughts. Both her sister and her brother had warned her about this
man. She could moreover divine that her mother was suffering under
some anxiety on the same subject. Why was all this? Why should these
things be said and thought? Why should there be uneasiness in the
house on her account in this matter of Mr. Graham? She acknowledged
to herself that there was such uneasiness;--and she almost
acknowledged to herself the cause.

But while she was still sitting over her own fire, with her needle
untouched beside her, her father had come home, and Lady Staveley had
mentioned to him that Mr. Graham thought of going on the next day.

"Nonsense, my dear," said the judge. "He must not think of such a
thing. He can hardly be fit to leave his room yet."

"Pottinger does say that it has gone on very favourably," pleaded
Lady Staveley.

"But that's no reason he should destroy the advantages of his healthy
constitution by insane imprudence. He's got nothing to do. He wants
to go merely because he thinks he is in your way."

Lady Staveley looked wishfully up in her husband's face, longing to
tell him all her suspicions. But as yet her grounds for them were so
slight that even to him she hesitated to mention them.

"His being here is no trouble to me, of course," she said.

"Of course not. You tell him so, and he'll stay," said the judge. "I
want to see him to-morrow myself;--about this business of poor Lady
Mason's."

Immediately after that he met his son. And Augustus also told him
that Graham was going.

"Oh no; he's not going at all," said the judge. "I've settled that
with your mother."

"He's very anxious to be off," said Augustus gravely.

"And why? Is there any reason?"

"Well; I don't know." For a moment he thought he would tell his
father the