66 Ah, yes," said Reginald, casting down his eyes, and looking the very picture of confusion; "he fully intended doing so, onlyonly "He received an unexpected summons to return home," exclaimed Mr. Vernon, who also appeared exceedingly red and embarrassed; "either his mother or father-I forget which-was taken suddenly ill, and he had no choice but to leave us." 66 "He desired us, however," continued Reginald, resuming his usual manner, to thank you and my aunt for your kind invitation, and to tell you how greatly he regretted being unable to avail himself of it." Having thus plausibly accounted for Mr. Cleveland's absence, both Reginald and his friend seemed particularly anxious to change the subject. I need hardly say that their statement of the case was a totally false one; it being, in fact, their own despicable and ungentlemanly conduct (to use no stronger expression) which had shocked and disgusted their quondam companion, and led him, in a fit of generous indignation, to separate himself from their company, and declare his determination of holding no manner of intercourse with them for the future. True, he had, during their short stay in Lanchester, been easily prevailed upon to accompany them to Herbert Cottage; but he was, at the time, in perfect ignorance of the relationship that existed between Reginald Grafton and our hero; neither did the former think it prudent to inform him of Herbert's name or position in society, much less explain that he was the discarded heir of Mertonsville ! Had he been aware of this, no power on earth could have compelled him to take part in such an extraordinary proceeding; for with all his faults-and they were neither few nor venial-he would have scorned to connive at a mean or dishonourable action. Before he had been many minutes in Herbert's presence, however, Mr. Cleveland discovered all, and, while inwardly censuring himself for having been the dupe of his unscrupulous friend, and wishing he could with propriety extricate himself from his uncomfortable situation, he felt an intuitive conviction and deep, heartfelt admiration of the high moral worth and superior attainments of our hero's unselfish character. This impression remained so strongly fixed upon his mind, that he penned a frank, manly letter to Mr. Seymour, in which he spoke of the visit he had unintentionally paid his son (without in any way alluding to Reginald Grafton), and candidly explained his reasons for declining an invitation to Mertonsville. That letter never reached Mr. Seymour; for Reginald, suspecting Mr. Cleveland's purpose, and having bribed the porter whose business it was to convey the letters from the hotel to the post-office, it was delivered into his hands. After reading it aloud, for Mr. Vernon's information as well as his own, and enjoying a boisterous laugh over its contents, Reginald Grafton committed it to the flames with a chuckle of gratification. Hence the agitation which both young men evinced at the mere mention of Mr. Cleveland's name. They knew they had destroyed his letter: so far, therefore, they were safe, but the very consciousness of their own guilt was sufficient to render them uneasy, apart from the fear which constantly assailed them, lest Mr. Seymour should learn, from some other source, the real cause of Mr. Cleveland's non-appearance. Shortly after tea, Mrs. Seymour framed an excuse for leaving them, and immediately she rose, Lisetta also (who seemed to possess a marvellous faculty of adapting itself most completely to the humours and caprices of its mistress, and instinctively to guess and sympathise with the peculiar feelings that influenced her) sprang from its cushion, and unhesitatingly followed her out of the room. CHAPTER LXI. WILLSON CARRIES HER POINT. "I grant him . . . avaricious, false, deceitful, "But, brother, let your reprehension BEN JONSON. "Do you really mean to say, Browning-" "Mr. Browning, if you please," interrupted Mr. Seymour's valet, with what he considered becoming dignity. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Browning it ought of course to be," continued the upper housemaid, slightly tossing her head; "do you mean to tell us, Mr. Browning, that the master thinks of making him his heir?" "What else can he intend?" demanded the valet, in a tone of sorrowful dismay; "why does he bring him here, unless" "It may be only a visit, you know." "And then to see the cunning way he is acting," pursued Browning, in accents of indignation; "doing everything he can to insinuate himself into his uncle's good graces, and even trying to hoodwink my mistress, just as if she would ever get to like him," he muttered between his closed teeth-" the poor-spirited 66 "You had better take care," interposed the cautious housemaid, or you may give him offence." "Give him offence, indeed!" scornfully repeated Browning; "do you imagine I should care for that? I am not one of your mean, sneaking, time-serving kind of fellows, who are in the habit of knocking under to any one who happens to be in power! Not I! I hope I have too much self-respect for that!" "Don't praise yourself, my friend," said the gentle voice of Mrs. Willson, as she at that moment entered the comfortably furnished servants' hall, and seated herself in a large leather-covered easy-chair, at one side of the fire; "we are none of us what we should be." "I know that," replied Browning, in a softened tone, and with marked respect; "but I declare it makes me furious when I see the attempts Mr. Grafton is making to step into the young squire's place. It is all very well for Eliza,"-darting an angry look at the housemaid-"to talk; she never saw Mr. Herbert, and does not know——" "Of course I know that it would be more natural and proper in every way for the master's own son to get the estate than his nephew,” said Eliza, rather tartly. "It's not exactly that." remarked Willson, sighing deeply; "some sons are a grief and shame to their parents "Of course they are," interposed Browning, nodding his head in token of approbation; "and this makes it all the more inexcusable on the part of Mr. Seymour treating his son as he has done." 66 Hush, Browning!" said Willson, softly and entreatingly; "it does not become us to judge our neighbours. One day we shall all be judged according to our works: until then "I should not like to stand in his shoes on that day," soliloquised Browning. "I dare say not," assented Ursula, the cook, who, in the absence of Mr. Seymour's French chef, was considered rather an important personage in the establishment; "it would be no advantage, I assure you." "Ah! how prone we are to overlook our own faults, while dwelling upon the failings of others!" murmured Willson, as she fixed her eyes meditatively upon the burning coals. "Not that I can bring myself to palliate his conduct," she went on, speaking apparently to herself; "still, Satan is strong, and we are weak, and were we tempted as I have no doubt he was tempted, our actions would probably have been the same as his." "Saving your presence, Mrs. Willson, I don't believe it!" exclaimed Ursula, in a sharp, decided one. "Don't believe what?" asked Willson, facing suddenly round. "I don't believe there is another man in England who would turn his son out of doors simply because he wanted to do right. What is your opinion, Mr. Browning?" “I quite agree with you," said Browning, politely handing her a chair, as he saw that she had finished the arrangement of a dish of confectionery which was intended to grace their own supper-table that evening. "By the bye, didn't you have some words with the master about Mr. Herbert's room?" inquired Ursula, turning with an air of respectful interest to Willson. "Words!" replied the old woman, thoughtfully. "No." 66 Why, Eliza told me that he had ordered her to put Mr. Grafton into the blue-room." "And so he did," interjected the upper housemaid. "And that when you heard of it, you declared he should not have the young squire's room." "And so she did!" again exclaimed Eliza. A curious little smile rippled over Willson's placid face, but she made no reply. 66 'Well, I could never believe he could have the heart to put Mr. Reginald into that room," cried Browning, fairly horrified at the idea. "Tell us how you managed to carry your point," said the old butler, glancing at Willson from beneath his rugged, grey eyebrows; " we all know that it's not easy acting contrary to the master." "I never disputed his authority before," observed Willson, in a low, deprecating tone, as if she wished to make an excuse to her own mind for what she had done. 66 "Well, how did you manage?" impatiently persisted the old man. Why, I did nothing," she answered, rousing herself, on observing that they were all waiting for her to speak; "only when Eliza came to ask me for the key of the blue chamber, I could not help feeling indignant at the purpose for which she said it was to be used." 66 “I should think not, indeed!" cried Browning, energetically; “ it was enough to provoke the patience of Job himself had he been alive." "And then?" asked the butler, signing to the impulsive valet to be silent. "I determined that if I could prevent it, Mr. Reginald should never enter the room." "Bravo!" said Browning, rubbing his hands together. "So I set to work, and got the pink room prepared for his reception, ntending to say nothing about it until after the visitors should have arrived. However, he discovered it the day before." How?" eagerly inquired the butler. "He happened to meet Eliza on the stairs; and having asked her, quite in a casual way, whether the rooms were all ready for his expected guests, he noticed that she looked confused. This led to his interrogating her pretty sharply; and at last he ordered her to go and bring him the key. She came to me in a great fright, and I bade her remain downstairs while I went up to the master." "I should think you'd find him in a terrible rage," observed Browning, compressing his lips. "Well, you know he is always cool and calm," returned Willson. "Tant pis!" exclaimed Juliet, Mrs. Seymour's maid, who had not yet spoken; " I like him not, he is too cool; besides, his manner is très fier and "I do wish you would learn to speak English like a Christian, Juliet," remarked Ursula, with whom she was no favourite. "I defy any one to understand the jargon of French nonsense you are always talking." "Jargon!" angrily retorted the lady's-maid. "I tell you, Madame Ursula, in my country 66 There, it's not worth falling out about," said the butler's decisive voice. "I think Mademoiselle Juliet is right, though, in calling Mr. Seymour too cool," argued Browning. "I know that for my part I'd rather be rated soundly than undergo the cutting remarks, so calmly and quietly spoken, with which some people are accustomed to treat one.' "Our dispositions are all so different,” rejoined Willson, gravely, "it is quite impossible for one man to dictate to another in this respect; we must just look to our own tempers, my friend, and try to rectify what is wrong in them, before we attempt to improve our neighbours." "Then you did not find Mr. Seymour very angry?" said Browning, ignoring the moral her words were calculated to convey. He certainly looked stern and displeased; but when I approached him with the key in my hand, and inquired whether he wished to enter the room, he merely bent his head in token of assent. 6 "While I was unlocking the door, I heard him mutter, What a ridiculous notion, locking up the room in this fashion, as if it were some old haunted chamber! Everything will, I suppose, after such neglect, prove dilapidated, if not quite destroyed, and totally unfit for present occupation.' "As he said this, I had half a mind to try and leave him under the impression he had formed, but then I thought it would be doing evil that good might come, so I boldly threw open the door, and followed him into the room. "For an instant he stood just within the doorway, gazing around |