ose to his
hand, was sitting over the fire in his accustomed arm-chair. He did
not often get out of it now, except when he was taken away to bed;
but yet both his eye and his voice were as sharp as ever when he so
pleased; and though he sat there paralyzed and all but motionless, he
was still master of his house, and master also of his money.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed Miss Baker, with startled voice before her
letter had been half read through.

"What's the matter?" demanded Mr. Bertram sharply.

"Oh, Miss Baker! what is it?" asked Adela.

"Goodness gracious! Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear!" And Miss Baker,
with her handkerchief to her eyes, began to weep most bitterly.

"What ails you? Who is the letter from?" said Mr. Bertram.

"Oh, dear! oh, dear! Read it, Adela. Oh, Mr. Bertram, here is such a
misfortune!"

"What is it, Miss Gauntlet? That fool will never tell me."

Adela took the letter, and read it through.

"Oh, sir," she said, "it is indeed a misfortune."

"Devil take it! what misfortune?"

"Caroline has quarrelled with Sir Henry," said Miss Baker.

"Oh, is that all?" said Mr. Bertram.

"Ah, sir; I fear this quarrel will prove serious," said Adela.

"Serious; nonsense; how serious? You never thought, did you, that he
and she would live together like turtle doves? He married for money,
and she for ambition; of course they'll quarrel." Such was the wisdom
of Mr. Bertram, and at any rate he had experience on his side.

"But, uncle; she wishes to leave him, and hopes that you'll let her
come here."

"Come here--fiddlestick! What should I do here with the wife of such
a man as him?"

"She declares most positively that nothing shall induce her to live
with him again."

"Fiddlestick!"

"But, uncle--"

"Why, what on earth did she expect? She didn't think to have it all
sunshine, did she? When she married the man, she knew she didn't care
for him; and now she determines to leave him because he won't pick up
her pocket-handkerchief! If she wanted that kind of thing, why did
not she marry my nephew?"

This was the first time that Mr. Bertram had been heard to speak of
George in a tone of affection, and both Miss Baker and Miss Gauntlet
were not a little surprised. They had never heard him speak of
Caroline as his granddaughter.

During the whole of that day, Mr. Bertram was obdurate; and he
positively refused to receive Lady Harcourt at his house unless
she came there with the full permission o