o
secure the accomplishment of his second task--namely, the disposal of
his mother. He knew that a collision between him and Matthew always
suggested to Mrs. Yorke the propriety of a fit of hysterics. He further
knew that, on the principle of calm succeeding to storm, after a morning
of hysterics his mother was sure to indulge in an afternoon of bed. This
would accommodate him perfectly.

The collision duly took place in the hall. A dry laugh, an insulting
sneer, a contemptuous taunt, met by a nonchalant but most cutting reply,
were the signals. They rushed at it. Martin, who usually made little
noise on these occasions, made a great deal now. In flew the servants,
Mrs. Yorke, Miss Moore. No female hand could separate them. Mr. Yorke
was summoned.

"Sons," said he, "one of you must leave my roof if this occurs again. I
will have no Cain and Abel strife here."

Martin now allowed himself to be taken off. He had been hurt; he was the
youngest and slightest. He was quite cool, in no passion; he even
smiled, content that the most difficult part of the labour he had set
himself was over.

Once he seemed to flag in the course of the morning.

"It is not worth while to bother myself for that Caroline," he remarked.
But a quarter of an hour afterwards he was again in the dining-room,
looking at the head with dishevelled tresses, and eyes turbid with
despair.

"Yes," he said, "I made her sob, shudder, almost faint. I'll see her
smile before I've done with her; besides, I want to outwit all these
womenites."

Directly after dinner Mrs. Yorke fulfilled her son's calculation by
withdrawing to her chamber. Now for Hortense.

That lady was just comfortably settled to stocking-mending in the back
parlour, when Martin--laying down a book which, stretched on the sofa
(he was still indisposed, according to his own account), he had been
perusing in all the voluptuous ease of a yet callow pacha--lazily
introduced some discourse about Sarah, the maid at the Hollow. In the
course of much verbal meandering he insinuated information that this
damsel was said to have three suitors--Frederic Murgatroyd, Jeremiah
Pighills, and John-of-Mally's-of-Hannah's-of-Deb's; and that Miss Mann
had affirmed she knew for a fact that, now the girl was left in sole
charge of the cottage, she often had her swains to meals, and
entertained them with the best the house afforded.

It needed no more. Hortense could not have lived another hour without
be