little Blenheim spaniel lying
asleep at Miss Aubrey's feet. "Oh dear!" said Kate, at length, with a
sigh, "I really don't see how to escape"----

"Who can that be?" exclaimed Mrs. Aubrey, looking up and listening to
the sound of carriage wheels.

"Never mind," said her husband, who was interested in the game--"come,
come, Kate." A few minutes afterwards a servant made his appearance, and
coming up to Mr. Aubrey, told him that Mr. Parkinson and another
gentleman had called, and were waiting in the library to speak to him on
business.

"What can they want at this hour?" exclaimed Mr. Aubrey, absently,
intently watching an anticipated move of his sister's, which would have
decided the game in his favor. At length she made her long-meditated
descent--but in quite an unexpected quarter.

"Checkmate!" she exclaimed with infinite glee.

"Ah!" cried he, rising with a slightly surprised and chagrined air, "I'm
ruined! Now, try your hand on Dr. Tatham, while I go and speak to these
people. I wonder what can possibly have brought them here. Oh, I see--I
see; 'tis probably about Miss Evelyn's marriage-settlement--I'm to be
one of her trustees." With this he left the room, and presently entered
the library, where were two gentlemen, one of whom, a stranger, was in
the act of pulling off his great-coat. It was Mr. Runnington; a tall,
thin, elderly man, with short gray hair--of gentlemanly appearance--his
countenance bespeaking the calm, acute, clear-headed man of business.
The other was Mr. Parkinson; a thoroughly respectable,
substantial-looking, hard-headed family solicitor and country attorney.

"Mr. Runnington, my London agent, sir," said he to Mr. Aubrey, as the
latter entered. Mr. Aubrey bowed.

"Pray, gentlemen, be seated," he replied with his usual urbanity of
manner, taking a chair beside them.

"Why, Mr. Parkinson, you look very serious--both of you. What is the
matter?" he inquired surprisedly.

"Mr. Runnington, sir, has arrived, most unexpectedly to me," replied Mr.
Parkinson, "only an hour or two ago, from London, on business of the
last importance to you."

"_To me!_--well, what is it? Pray, say at once what it is--I am all
attention," said Mr. Aubrey, anxiously.

"Do you happen," commenced Mr. Parkinson, very nervously, "to remember
sending Waters to me on Monday or Tuesday last, with a paper which had
been served by some one on old Jolter?"

"Certainly," replied Mr. Aubrey, after a moment's consideratio