't anticipate meeting a brother-in-law as
well as a sister,--is it not so?"

Amos hardly knew what to reply, for the bantering air and words of his
companion filled him with disgust and repugnance.--"Oh, I see it all--
it's perfectly natural," said Mr Vivian sarcastically; "but set your
mind at ease on that point, Mr Huntingdon. As soon as you reach the
house you will cease to be troubled with my company; nay, I shall not go
with you beyond the door."

"I am ready," said Amos calmly.

"Good, then follow me," said the other; and both descended from the
heath, and, striking at once out of the more frequented paths, made
their way through brier and brushwood till Amos had entirely lost all
knowledge of where he was. They had ridden thus about two miles when
they suddenly emerged on to some cleared ground, and then came to the
side of a large brick-field which had been for some time disused. At
one end of the field was a small two-roomed cottage substantially built
of rough stone. This had been inhabited formerly by a labourer and his
family, the man having been a sort of overlooker while the brick-making
was going on. Of course there was a standstill to the manufacture at
present, but, to the surprise of Amos, smoke was coming out of the
cottage chimney. He was surprised, because, as they rode close up to
the building, it looked the last place likely to have a tenant at the
present time. Its extreme loneliness also struck him, there being no
other building in sight anywhere. As they came just opposite to its
outer door, Mr Vivian turned to Amos, and said with a malicious smile,
"This, sir, is the house."

"This!" exclaimed the young man, indignant and horrified,--"this the
house where my poor sister lives!"

"Even so," was the reply; "any roof to cover you this severe season is
surely better than none."

"It cannot be," said Amos; but at that moment the door half opened, and
a woman's hand and part of her dress appeared. Then the door was
rapidly closed, and he heard from within the sound of weeping and
wailing. "It must be so, then," he exclaimed sadly, and proceeded to
dismount.

"Don't trouble about your pony," said the player, "I will look after
him. Give me the bridle." Amos did so, and was entering by the low
massive door, when to his astonishment a female figure pushed past him
into the open air. Then the door was closed upon him, thrusting him
forward into the building, while Vivian cried out