it did arrive the water was not only not boiling but was smoked. There was, moreover, no sugar.

Mrs. Curgenven rang.

The footman returned, and she asked for the sugar-basin. Charles hesitated, became red to the roots of his fair hair, and when the lady repeated her order, he replied in a low voice

'Please, ma'am, it is run out.'

'Run out! What do you mean?'

'The boy have filled his mouth and pockets, and gone and I can't find the housekeeper with the key of the store-room to get more out. Shall I bring in some brown, ma'am? There are a few spoonfuls in a bowl in the kitchen.'

Whilst this conversation was maintained in an undertone, at a sign from Mrs. Curgenven, which he perfectly understood, Mr. Pamphlet raised his voice and talked sufficiently loudly to divert the attention of the visitors. Happily none of the ladies took their tea sweetened. Whilst they were engaged in conversation Jane was in a condition of irritation. She had found smears as from greasy fingers on one of the cups and a high-milk mark of dirt within the cream-jug. She would take no tea herself, and the smoked insipid decoction was clearly not relished by the visitors. She, however, took a piece of thin bread and butter, but after a bite put it hastily down again. The bread had been cut with an oniony knife.

Presently the Tregonticks left, having first begged Mrs. Curgenven to accept their call as made upon her at the rectory. As Lady Tregontick said, she really had come to make that visit, and it was with that intention her girls had accompanied her. Now Mrs. Curgenven was not at home she could not go to the parsonage, and Mrs. Curgenven must accept the will for the deed, and Mr. Pamphlet accept a card she would leave with him from Sir Sampson, who was really too tiresome; he bad given way to his shyness till it had grown on him, and become quite an affliction.

No sooner were the Tregonticks gone than Mrs. Curgenven turned on Percival with an exclamation of Really! you must get married. This never will do. Old Mrs. Trefry is not up to the mark. She has gone off with the key-no sugar. The cups and the cream-jug are simply disgusting. The character of the house is likely to suffer. You must either get married or get a proper housekeeper, only-don't take one of the Tregonticks: I don't mean as housekeeper, you understand. That woman came here

VOL. XIX.-NO. 113, N.S.

22

to throw her daughters at your head-it is all fudge about her bringing them to see Alice, and her coming here to call on me, and it is all fudge about Sir Sampson's shyness, too. It is laziness, nothing else. Just look here, Percival-no-not at the outside of the cream-jug, but at the inside. Do you not observe the line round the interior? The jug has been put aside with the cream in it, to catch the dust and curdle; then-all in a scramble, to-day when wanted, some one turns out the nasty mess, and hastily puts in fresh cream. It is too revolting. This must not go on. What are you going to do about servants? Advertise? go to a registry office? Goodness me! and this is the time of all others when you most want servants-when all the neighbourhood will make calls and have its eyes open to see what sort of an establishment you keep up-and talk about it afterwards for three months.'

Suddenly up jumped Mr. Percival Curgenven, shook himself as though to shake away the worries that were accumulating on him, and said—' By George! I shall be off!'

'Where to?'

"Why, to Scotland. I can't stay and face all these callers, and I must have a bit of a change after these confounded worries -and see about-that is to say-'he hesitated. 'I say, Jane, can I do anything for you at Drumduskie? can I take a message to Mrs. Boxholder or the girls?'

'You are going there!' exclaimed Mrs. Curgenven, with a flush in her cheeks and a glance at her father. Why, Percival! are they expecting you?'

'No, I have not said a word.'

'But-are you going to stay with them at Drumduskie?'
'No, not that; I am going there-let me see-fishing.'
"Fishing! Percival-now-at this time?'

'Never mind why-I am going there. I want to get away from this deuce of a worry. Is not that enough? I shall find a shakedown somewhere.'

'I am sure my sister will be charmed to take you in. You know her.'

'Oh yes; I met her when she was down staying here, and Rose, too. She's a nice girl. And I know the little one also. I forget her name.'

'Flora.'

'Yes, Flora. Of course, she's only a school-girl.' 'But you will write?'

'No, I sha'n't, I'll drop in. I shall go to the inn. If they ask me to stay with them I may accept, but I don't know. I like my independence, my pipe and my whisky, and to stretch my legs, as and where and how I like. No; I shall put up for a day or two at the inn. If you have a commission I'll take it.'

Then Charles, the footman, came in.

"There is Mr. Physic in the study, sir,' he said. 'Shall I tell him to wait?'

'Not for us,' said Mrs. Curgenven, hastily rising. No, we must go. Come, papa. We will not detain you, Percival, from business.'

'And,' said Mr. Pamphlet, 'do try to compromise this matter with the cook-or shall Jane see her, and attempt an arrangement? I dare say a five-pound note will suffice. Whatever you do, keep out of the papers, and if it can't be done otherwise, pay for being passed over. We won't detain you now.'

'Don't get Physic to find servants for you, Percival,' said Mrs. Curgenven, as she left the room. But can I help you, or will you leave it till you return from Scotland?'

When Mrs. Curgenven was outside with her father, she put her hand on his arm, pressed it, and said, 'You see he was struck with Rose. I had an idea at the time when she was staying with us last summer, and Percival was in the house too. He would make her laugh with his nonsense, and take her about the grounds to see this and that, and chaff her about a Scottish accent, and the tartan, and all that sort of thing.'

'But, my dear Jane, he is some twenty or thirty years older than Rose.'

"What of that? it will be pleasant for me to have a niece here rather than a stranger; and Lady Tregontick will most certainly tackle him for one of her daughters unless he be put beyond her reach.'

'But it will provoke comment, I fear.'

'It will make Lady Tregontick ready to tear out my eyes. If I can't be at Curgenven myself, let us have there one of ourselves and not a stranger-that is all I desire. Besides, Percival needs licking into shape, and Rose is the woman to bring him into order; she is more like her mother and me than anyone I know.'

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE GHOST OF A WILL.

WHEN Mr. Percival Curgenven entered the library, he found Physic at the window, with his hands behind his back under the tails of his coat, watching the departure of Mr. Pamphlet and his daughter. The agent's sides were shaking with laughter.

Physic turned round, and withdrawing one hand, and pointing with his thumb through the glass, said: "Madam would give a thousand pounds to be back here again and able to turn you out.' 'I dare say,' replied Percival carelessly. And I don't know that I should particularly object to be out of it.'

'Oh, come! Tell that to the marines.'

'It's a fact. If I were in the Pill-box, no cook would borrow my dogcart, coachman, and roan to drive into town to take out a summons against me-for one thing because I shouldn't have a cook there, and life would be worth living then.'

'I don't understand.'

'It doesn't matter,' said Percival, throwing himself into a chair. As Jane said, one needn't rake out all one's domestic worries before strangers.'

There's a difference between four thousand and a hundred and fifty, eh?' said the agent with a leer.

Materially, a difference of three thousand eight hundred and fifty worries. I haven't very broad shoulders, I don't think I can stand them all.'

'Four thousand a year broadens the shoulders wonderfully, makes epaulettes, in fact. You have not as yet been here long enough to enjoy the comfort of being able to thrust your fingers over knuckles in gold.'

'I have been here long enough to get my hands full of prickles.'

There are ups and downs in this world,' said Physic, and those who rise the fastest are often the quickest to descend.'

'I suppose so,' observed Percival with indifference, though how I'm to be tumbled back into nothingness is not clear to me.' 'You'd go down like lead if another will were to turn up.'

Ah! Another will-perhaps so. But none has been found.' 'Awkward for you, sir, were one discovered.'

'Perhaps so.'

Percival lit a cigar.

'Do you smoke?'

"Thank you, if I may.'

The agent helped himself from Percival's case, and lit his cigar. He puffed at it for a minute without saying anything. Then he withdrew the cigar from his mouth between his two first fingers and said, looking sideways at Percival, I suppose you have no suspicion that the captain made another will.'

'By George, no!' exclaimed Mr. Curgenven, startled out of his indifference. When?'

'Look here,' said Physic, 'I've got the draft of it. I, in fact, drew it up for him. May I spread it on the desk? You'd like to look it through. It is only a rough draft, and not a signed and attested will.'

He went to the writing-table, replaced the cigar between his lips, and drew an envelope from his pocket, opened it, and extracted a folded paper. He laid it on the desk that was upon the table, and passed his hand over it, spreading it out, and flattening the

creases.

"There you are, sir, look as long as you like.'

Percival went to the table, put down his cigar beside the desk and carefully read the document. When he had mastered the contents, and had turned it over and made sure it was unsigned, he said, 'I see. Lambert wanted to provide for his wife-I mean for Jane-in the event of his first wife appearing on the scene. suppose this will if executed would be a legal document?'

I

'No doubt about it. Everything is left to Jane Pamphlet, commonly known as Jane Curgenven, and to you in trust for his daughter Alice. There is provision, as you see, for your annuity to continue as trustee, and something for madam.'

'So I see,' said Percival musingly; are you sure he never made such a will?'

'I am not sure at all. This is the rough draft; he had the fair copy from me.'

'Then where is it
'Exactly—where?'

'Jane cannot have found it. It was not in the box of deeds nor in his desk. Of course, if she had found it, she would have produced it.'

'Of course she would.'