shame and vexation, glanced at the bright face
of his aunt, whose eyes swam with grateful tears. Then he glanced down:
her hands were crossed; yes, he knew that it would be so. And how felt
Mr Huntingdon? To the surprise of all, and of none more than Amos
himself, he exclaimed, "That's right, Amos; you've spoken out like a
man, and I believe you are right."

For a while there was silence; then a gentleman near the squire's end of
the table asked his next neighbour, "What sort of a looking man was this
same mimic? I believe you were at Lady Gambit's."

"Yes, I was there," replied the other. "I can't say much in his favour.
He was not a bad-looking fellow,--black hair, if it was his own, black
piercing eyes, and a black beard. I can't imagine where her ladyship
picked him up."

"But _I_ can," said a gentleman opposite. "He is some strolling player.
He got, it would seem, access to Lady Gambit's ear in some underhand
way; and he has done now what our young friend Walter suggested a little
while ago that he might as well have done sooner. Having taken other
people off, he has taken himself off also, and has contrived to carry
some twenty pounds of her ladyship's money with him, which he managed to
swindle her out of; and the police are on the look-out for him. I heard
that only this morning from the sergeant himself."

Poor Amos! how terribly his heart sank within him when he heard these
words! Yes; he could have little doubt about it. This mimic and
swindler, he felt assured, was none other than his own brother-in-law.
Happily, however, he was pretty sure to be now out of the neighbourhood,
and was not likely to show himself soon again. But what of his unhappy
wife? Alas! Amos dreaded to think what the unprincipled man might do
with or against her.

Glad, heartily glad, were both the brothers when the dinner was over,
and the rest of the evening, after "dragging its slow length along," had
at last come to an end. Walter, indeed, rattled away in the drawing-
room to every one's content but his own. Still, a chill had fallen on
more than one of the party; and as for poor Mrs Morse and her daughter,
after endeavouring to make themselves agreeable by gusts which were
followed by portentous lulls, they were glad to order their carriage and
take their departure at the earliest hour consistent with politeness.

And now, when all the guests had taken leave, and Miss Huntingdon had
retired to her room, happy i