ew how to interpose. "I am sure mamma won't let
there be anything wrong," she had said.

"And you don't call this wrong?" said Miss Stanbury, in a tone of
indignation.

"But perhaps mamma will tell them to go."

"I hope she will. I hope she has. But he was allowed to be there
for hours. And now three days have passed and there is no sign of
anything being done. He came and went and may come again when he
pleases." Still Dorothy pleaded. "I shall do my duty," said Miss
Stanbury.

"I am quite sure mamma will do nothing wrong," said Dorothy. But the
letter was written and sent, and the answer to the letter reached the
house in the Close in due time.

When Miss Stanbury had read and re-read the very short reply which
her niece had written, she became at first pale with dismay, and
then red with renewed vigour and obstinacy. She had made herself, as
she thought, quite certain of her facts before she had acted on her
information. There was some equivocation, some most unworthy deceit
in Priscilla's letter. Or could it be possible that she herself had
been mistaken? Another gentleman had been there;--not, however, with
the object of seeing Mrs. Trevelyan! So said Priscilla. But she had
made herself sure that the man in question was a man from London,
a middle-aged man from London, who had specially asked for Mrs.
Trevelyan, and who had at once been known to Mrs. Clegg, at the
Lessboro' inn, to be Mrs. Trevelyan's lover. Miss Stanbury was
very unhappy, and at last sent for Giles Hickbody. Giles Hickbody
had never pretended to know the name. He had seen the man and had
described him, "Quite a swell, ma'am; and a Lon'oner, and one as'd
be up to anything; but not a young 'un; no, not just a young 'un,
zartainly." He was cross-examined again now, and said that all he
knew about the man's name was that there was a handle to it. This was
ended by Miss Stanbury sending him down to Lessboro' to learn the
very name of the gentleman, and by his coming back with that of the
Honourable George Glascock written on a piece of paper. "They says
now as he was arter the other young 'ooman," said Giles Hickbody.
Then was the confusion of Miss Stanbury complete.

It was late when Giles returned from Lessboro', and nothing could
be done that night. It was too late to write a letter for the
next morning's post. Miss Stanbury, who was as proud of her own
discrimination as she was just and true, felt that a day of
humiliation had indeed come