immediately, and by some means or other prevented the marriage. How
it was done I never heard; but it was not until a year afterwards
that Angus Egerton discovered his mother's part in the business. He
came down to the Priory suddenly and unexpectedly at a late hour one
night, and walked straight to his mother's room. I have heard that
old woman who has been showing us the house describe his ghastly
face--she was Mrs. Egerton's maid in those days--as he pushed her
aside and went into the room where his mother was sitting. There was
a dreadful scene between them, and at the end of it Angus Egerton
walked out of the house, swearing never again to enter it while his
mother lived. He has kept his word. Mrs. Egerton never crossed the
threshold after that night, and refused to see anybody except her
servants and her doctor. She lived this lonely kind of life for
nearly three years, and then died of some slow wasting disease, for
which the doctor could find no name.'

'And where did Mr. Egerton go after leaving her that night?'

'He slept at a little inn at Cumber, and went back to London next
morning. He left England soon after that, and has lived abroad ever
since.'

'And you think him a very bad man?'

'I consider his conduct to his mother a sufficient evidence of
that.'

'He may have believed himself deeply wronged.'

'He must have known that she had acted in his interests when she
prevented his committing the folly of a low marriage. She was his
mother, and had been a most devoted and indulgent mother.'

'And in the end contrived to break his heart--to say nothing of the
girl who loved him, who was of course a piece of common clay, not
worth consideration.'

'I did not think you had so much romance, Augusta,' said Mr.
Darrell, laughing; 'I suppose it is natural for a woman to take the
part of unfortunate lovers, however foolish the affair may be. But I
believe this Devonshire girl was quite unworthy of an honourable
attachment on the part of any man. You see I knew and liked Mrs.
Egerton, and I know how she loved her son. I cannot forgive him his
conduct to her; nor have the reports of his life abroad been by any
means favourable to his character. His career seems to have been a
very wild and dissipated one.'

'And he has never married?'

'No, he has never married.'

'He has been true, at least,' Mrs. Darrell said in a low thoughtful
tone.

We had lingered in the little study while her husband had told hi