up; must she be told? Edward spoke to her now and then from his
hiding-place. He dared not go back into the kitchen, into which the few
neighbors they had were apt to come, on their morning's way to Combehurst,
to ask if they could do any errands there for Mrs. Browne or Nancy. Perhaps
a quarter of an hour or so had elapsed since the first alarm, when, as
Maggie was trying to light the parlor fire, in order that the doctor, when
he came, might find all as usual, she heard the click of the garden gate,
and a man's step coming along the walk. She ran up stairs to wash away the
traces of the tears which had been streaming down her face as she went
about her work, before she opened the door. There, against the watery light
of the rainy day without, stood Mr. Buxton. He hardly spoke to her, but
pushed past her, and entered the parlor. He sat down, looking as if he did
not know what he was doing. Maggie tried to keep down her shivering alarm.
It was long since she had seen him; and the old idea of his kind, genial
disposition, had been sadly disturbed by what she had heard from Frank, of
his severe proceedings against his unworthy tenantry; and now, if he was
setting the police in search of Edward, he was indeed to be dreaded; and
with Edward so close at hand, within earshot! If the china fell! He would
suspect nothing from that; it would only be her own terror. If her mother
came down! But, with all these thoughts, she was very still, outwardly, as
she sat waiting for him to speak.

"Have you heard from your brother lately?" asked he, looking up in an angry
and disturbed manner. "But I'll answer for it he has not been writing home
for some time. He could not, with the guilt he has had on his mind. I'll
not believe in gratitude again. There perhaps was such a thing once; but
now-a-days the more you do for a person, the surer they are to turn against
you, and cheat you. Now, don't go white and pale. I know you're a good girl
in the main; and I've been lying awake all night, and I've a deal to say to
you. That scoundrel of a brother of yours!"

Maggie could not ask (as would have been natural, if she had been ignorant)
what Edward had done. She knew too well. But Mr. Buxton was too full of his
own thoughts and feelings to notice her much.

"Do you know he has been like the rest? Do you know he has been cheating
me--forging my name? I don't know what besides. It's well for him that
they've altered the laws, and he can't be hung