ehind whom stood Walter, partly hidden by his
brother; but as his sister caught sight of her younger brother, the
colour rushed into her face, and with a wild cry she sprang into his
arms. "Walter! O Walter, Walter! is it really you? Oh, this is too
much happiness.--Amos, you never told me of this."

"No, my dear sister, because I did not know of it myself. But calm
yourself now. You look so very ill, I am afraid the excitement has been
too much for you."

"No, no!" she cried, with a look of terror in her eyes, "it is not
that,--seeing you both is nothing but joy; it would make me well and
ready for anything. But--but _he_ has been here since I saw you
yesterday, Amos. He found out from my manner that something had
happened, and he made me tell that you had been here. And then he asked
if you had said anything about money; and, when I hesitated, he
threatened and threatened till he forced it out of me that my dear
father had sent me those notes. He went off again last night, and said
that he should like to meet you this morning, and that perhaps something
might be arranged to the satisfaction of all parties."

"Then you told him that I was coming again this morning?"

"Yes; he dragged it from me by his sharp and cruel questioning. But he
is not coming till twelve o'clock."

"And where is he now?"

"I cannot tell. He never lets me know where he is going to, or how long
he means to stay away."

"I will meet him here, then," said Amos; "perhaps we may now really come
to some understanding which will get us out of our difficulties."

"And what about me?" asked Walter. "I have come over here in the
character of a policeman in plain clothes to watch over my brother Amos,
and I don't want that precious blackguard--I beg your pardon, Julia, I
mean your husband--to have any more _tete-a-tetes_ with my charge unless
I am by. Can you hide me away in some corner where I can hear and see
all that is going on without being seen myself?"

"Would that be right?" asked his brother hesitatingly.

"Perfectly right," said Walter, "so long as _you_ are willing that I
should hear what passes between you. I'm not fond of acting the spy,
but this is simply taking reasonable precautions to prevent an honest
man being entrapped or injured by a rogue."

"Yes," said his sister, "I am afraid what you say is too true. I would
not answer for what Orlando might do at any time. So I think I can
place you where you can obser