discovered,--at any rate by Tom and
the doctor. "I took care to keep a wing for you," said Tom; "I carved
them myself at dinner." As he so addressed her he came out from his
hiding-place in the kitchen about midnight, and surprised her in the
larder. She gave a fearful scream, which, however, luckily was not
heard through the house. "You won't tell mamma, Tom, will you?" Tom
promised that he would not, on condition that she would come down
to breakfast on the following morning. This she did, and the London
physician was saved a journey.

But, in the meantime, Gertrude's second letter had gone up to Frank,
and also a very heartrending epistle from Lady Tringle to her
husband. "Poor Gertrude is in a very bad state. If ever there was
a girl really broken-hearted on account of love, she is one. I did
not think she would ever set her heart upon a man with such violent
affection. I do think you might give way when it becomes a question
of life and death. There isn't anything really against Mr. Houston."
Sir Thomas, as he read this, was a little shaken. He had hitherto
been inclined to agree with Rosalind, "That men have died from time
to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love." But now he did
not know what to think about it. There was Tom undoubtedly in a bad
way, and here was Gertrude brought to such a condition, simply by her
love, that she refused to take her meals regularly! Was the world
come to such a pass that a father was compelled to give his daughter
with a large fortune to an idle adventurer, or else to be responsible
for his daughter's life? Would Augusta have pined away and died had
she not been allowed to marry her Traffick? Would Lucy pine and die
unless money were given to her sculptor? Upon the whole, Sir Thomas
thought that the cares of his family were harder to bear than those
of his millions. In regard to Gertrude, he almost thought that he
would give way, if only that he might be rid of that trouble.

It must be acknowledged that Frank Houston, when he received the
young lady's letter, was less soft-hearted than her father. The
letter was, or should have been, heartrending;--

YOU CRUEL MAN,

You must have received my former letter, and though I told
you that I was ill and almost dying you have not heeded
it! Three posts have come, and I have not had a line from
you. In your last you were weak enough to say that you
were going to give it all up because you could not ma