It has been such a comfort to me to see you. Here, you know, my father and my auntbut you, I always had hopes of, and now I may be sure that there is one besides myself who will never blame him."

Mr. Marshall promised to come again. Mary held his hand a moment longer, while she said, though she could hardly steady her voice sufficiently:

"He always loved you, as if you had been his father he felt towards you as a son-let me still hold the place I should have held as his wife."

"You shall, my dear child; you shall, for his sake and for your own-you shall be doubly dear."

As the door closed after him, Mary's heart swelled with thankfulness at the thought that he also would hope on, through evil and through good report.

The interview which now took place between the two old friends was not a pleasant one, and it ended in something nearly approaching to a breach between them.

All Mr. Hardy's feelings had been out

raged by Edward's sudden flight. His pride was hurt by the rejection, as he termed it, of his daughter, and by the fruitless sacrifice he had made of his dearest prejudices. His vanity was mortified at the deception that he thought had been practised upon him, and at the mistake that it now appeared he must have made in his estimation of Edward's character. The return for what he considered his great generosity enraged him, the mystery irritated him. He was revolted at the idea of his daughter being the talk of high and low, in every circle the subject of gossip, wonder and pity.

In fact there was enough to wound a much less haughty and sensitive nature than his; and when his strong paternal affection, and consequent sympathy in his daughter's suffering are taken into account, it is not surprising that his excited state should make him somewhat unjust, and that his emotions should take the form of anger against Mr. Marshall, who had introduced, supported, and still defended, the cause of all the present misfortune.

CHAPTER XIV.

No! 't is slander,

Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue
Out-venoms all the worms of Nile: whose breath
Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world.

SHAKSPEARE.

MR. MARSHALL went home with a heavy heart. His companion had been a close and silent observer of what passed at Allerton, and but for the lateness of the hour, he would have gone that evening to Windyheugh, so determined was he to ascertain the truth or falsehood of the little romance he had woven in his brain. The next day was Sunday, and there was a struggle between his curiosity and his propriety. Propriety prevailed, and it was not until Monday that he turned his horse's head towards Windyheugh. When within

a mile of his point, he heard some one galloping behind him, and was presently hailed by a voice which he recognised. On looking round, he saw Captain Rutherford coming at his usual headlong pace, and pulled up to hear what he had to say. They had made some acquaintance when theth Regiment was quartered at H——————. "What has happened at Allerton?" asked Captain Rutherford, instantly. cantered over from Storrcliffe, where I slept last night, to ask which was to be the happy day, and I found all in confusion. Nobody would see me; the servant looked as if I ought not to have asked, and said Mr. Johnson had left the country!' What does it mean?"

"I do not know," answered the lawyer. "But, seriously, is Edward gone away? "He is."

"And where, why, for how long?"

“I

"We should be greatly indebted to you if you could tell us."

"What an extraordinary thing! If it had been anybody else, but Edward never

got in debt, and Miss Hardy's fortune would have settled everything if he had!"

"I don't know that he would have looked upon the matter in your business-like way, but there are no debts, apparently."

"And such a steady fellow, too!"

"He was always steady, was he?" asked Mr. Pringle, a little inquisitively.

"As old time; never touched a card, never got into a scrape, except to help some one else out. I like to tease him, and I have not much faith in my fellow-creatures generally, judging them possibly by myself; but there is something about Edward, in spite of all his crotchets, which one cannot help respecting."

"Then you are not inclined to believe the stories that his disappearance has set afloat?"

"I have not heard them, but I cannot believe anything to his disadvantage."

"He knows nothing of this intrigue," thought Mr. Pringle; "so I will hold my tongue," adding, aloud "How can you

account for such a strange measure as