ime; he had chosen the dusk
of the afternoon, so that none could see his neighbour's face; but it
seemed as if we held our breathing; only my old lord cleared his throat.
The first to move was the singer, who got to his feet suddenly and
softly, and went and walked softly to and fro in the low end of the
hall, Mr. Henry's customary place. We were to suppose that he there
struggled down the last of his emotion; for he presently returned and
launched into a disquisition on the nature of the Irish (always so much
miscalled, and whom he defended) in his natural voice; so that, before
the lights were brought, we were in the usual course of talk. But even
then, methought Mrs. Henry's face was a shade pale; and, for another
thing, she withdrew almost at once.

The next sign was a friendship this insidious devil struck up with
innocent Miss Katharine; so that they were always together, hand in
hand, or she climbing on his knee, like a pair of children. Like all his
diabolical acts, this cut in several ways. It was the last stroke to Mr.
Henry, to see his own babe debauched against him; it made him harsh with
the poor innocent, which brought him still a peg lower in his wife's
esteem; and (to conclude) it was a bond of union between the lady and
the Master. Under this influence, their old reserve melted by daily
stages. Presently there came walks in the long shrubbery, talks in the
Belvedere, and I know not what tender familiarity. I am sure Mrs. Henry
was like many a good woman; she had a whole conscience, but perhaps by
the means of a little winking. For even to so dull an observer as
myself, it was plain her kindness was of a more moving nature than the
sisterly. The tones of her voice appeared more numerous; she had a light
and softness in her eye; she was more gentle with all of us, even with
Mr. Henry, even with myself; methought she breathed of some quiet
melancholy happiness.

To look on at this, what a torment it was for Mr. Henry! And yet it
brought our ultimate deliverance, as I am soon to tell.

* * * * *

The purport of the Master's stay was no more noble (gild it as they
might) than to wring money out. He had some design of a fortune in the
French Indies, as the Chevalier wrote me; and it was the sum required
for this that he came seeking. For the rest of the family it spelled
ruin; but my lord, in his incredible partiality, pushed ever for the
granting. The family was now so narr