d to see Mr.
Bartholomew Burgess on business, at some hour on that afternoon
or that evening. Brooke himself had been made acquainted with the
subject in regard to which this singular interview was desired;
but it was not a part of his duty to communicate any information
respecting it. It had been necessary that his consent to certain
arrangements should be asked before the invitation to Barty Burgess
could be given; but his present mission was confined to an authority
to give the invitation.

Old Mr. Burgess was much surprised, and was at first disposed to
decline the proposition made by the "old harridan," as he called her.
He had never put any restraint on his language in talking of Miss
Stanbury with his nephew, and was not disposed to do so now, because
she had taken a new vagary into her head. But there was something in
his nephew's manner which at last induced him to discuss the matter
rationally.

"And you don't know what it's all about?" said Uncle Barty.

"I can't quite say that. I suppose I do know pretty well. At any
rate, I know enough to think that you ought to come. But I must not
say what it is."

"Will it do me or anybody else any good?"

"It can't do you any harm. She won't eat you."

"But she can abuse me like a pickpocket, and I should return it, and
then there would be a scolding match. I always have kept out of her
way, and I think I had better do so still."

Nevertheless Brooke prevailed,--or rather the feeling of curiosity
which was naturally engendered prevailed. For very, very many years
Barty Burgess had never entered or left his own house of business
without seeing the door of that in which Miss Stanbury lived,--and
he had never seen that door without a feeling of detestation for the
owner of it. It would, perhaps, have been a more rational feeling on
his part had he confined his hatred to the memory of his brother, by
whose will Miss Stanbury had been enriched, and he had been, as he
thought, impoverished. But there had been a contest, and litigation,
and disputes, and contradictions, and a long course of those
incidents in life which lead to rancour and ill blood, after the
death of the former Brooke Burgess; and, as the result of all this,
Miss Stanbury held the property and Barty Burgess held his hatred.
He had never been ashamed of it, and had spoken his mind out to all
who would hear him. And, to give Miss Stanbury her due, it must be
admitted that she had hardly been behind h