No doubt he would become acquainted with the circumstances attending her arrival."

"What's to be done?" said Miss Horton, as soon as she was able to speak.

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Something immediate, for the man talks of going down to claim the reward."

"That must never be!" said Miss Horton, giving the table an energetic push; and she got up, and walked up and down the room.

"It's an awkward business," said Mr. Horton. “I fear there is something wrong, and no time must be lost in coming at the particulars."

"Not yet," said Miss Horton, with some apprehension, her kind feelings retaining the ascendancy. "We cannot act in opposition to Dr. Murphy's orders; and, poor thing, the certain consequence of her knowing of this advertisement would be a relapse. That can never be!”

Mr. Horton sat down, folded his arms, and leaned them on the table. After some minutes of consideration he said, in a tone of decision, "I will go down to the Manorhouse!"

"You!" "Yes!"

"And for what purpose?"

"To ask those particulars we are not able to ascertain from the young lady, and to make known that she is in safety."

Miss Horton had not proposed this plan, therefore her first impulse was to oppose it; but she did not do so, for, after a moment's consideration she said, in a tone of decision, 66 The very best thing to be done; and the sooner you go

the better."

Mr. Horton had risen, and was advancing to the door. "Stop!" said Miss Horton; "the first thing to be done is to keep this valet quiet; what's to be done with him ?"

"Leave that to me," said Mr. Horton; "when assured that

he will receive a reward, it will matter very little to him from what source it comes."

"This is the consequence of leaving newspapers about!" said Miss Horton; "and I hope it will be a warning to you."

CHAPTER XXX.

MR. HORTON set out on his journey without delay. When he reached Merton it was at too early an hour to progress to the Manor-house, and he rather wished for the opportunity of asking questions at the "White Hart" respecting 66 the young lady who had been traced to have left that inn in the Express coach."

The only persons to whom she had spoken were Sukey and the waiter; and the advertisement had conferred on each a certain degree of importance they were by no means disposed to undervalue.

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No news of the young lady, sir," said the waiter, as he brought in slippers and took away Mr. Horton's boots.

Mr. Horton thought his best chance of hearing all was to know nothing, so he asked in a tone of indifference, "What do you mean?—what young lady?"

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Why, for sure, and hav'n't you heard about it? I thought all them sort o' things that gets into newspapers was known to everybody. Why, a young lady that came here last Tuesday morning, before one was up, as a body may say. All through the rain and dirt comes she to this door. Nobody was about but Sukey and me, and Sukey was cleaning the step, and she tossed her head high enough at her; but, poor thing! thought I, whatever she is civility costs nothing, and she's wet and dripping enough, and doesn't look over happy either; so I asks her to come in, and I takes

her to the fire i' the kitchen to dry herself, and when she was warmed and comforted a bit she'd a nice hot breakfast, and then she waited till th' coach called to take her off to London. Sure enough, I thought, and I said so, too, as I stood watching it till it was out o' sight, 'I fear all's not as it should be;' and so, indeed, it comes out to be, for this same -this very young lady that came here last Tuesday morning, is stuck up i' th' newspaper, and a reward offered to anybody that can tell where she's gone."

"And is it known where she came from?" asked Mr. Horton.

"No, not exactly—that is, people don't like to talk about it; though there's many that guesses for all that, but they don't like to offend his worship the Justice, and so they're quiet."

"Then no tidings have yet been heard of her?"

"No, not up to last night; for I just stepped up to th' post-office to ask, for, as one may say, Sukey and I are what one may call parties implicated, and so one feels anxious like."

"Well!" said Mr. Horton, "now bring me a cup of hot coffee, and let a chaise be in readiness at ten o'clock.” The waiter bowed, and did his bidding.

Arrived at the gate which led to the Manor-house, Mr. Horton dismissed the chaise, and entered the avenue on foot. As he approached the house he perceived the blinds were all down, and there was a stillness pervading that seemed to forbode evil tidings. He rang at the hall-door; there was no answer, and he rang again. Then was heard the taking down of a heavy bar and the undrawing of bolts, which told that the door had not been opened that morning. It was opened then by Mr. Kingley's valet; his dress was in disorder, and his appearance had the expression of one who had been sitting up all night, and who had not had the refreshment of a morning toilet.

Without asking the usual question, if Mr. Kingley were at home, Mr. Horton's first words were—

"I fear there is something amiss! What has happened? Are Mr. and Mrs. Kingley well?"

"No, sir; my poor master is half beside himself, and my mistress-is dead!"

"Dead!—is Mrs. Kingley dead?" exclaimed Mr. Horton, shocked at the confirmation of the fears which had foreboded death.

"Perhaps you'll walk in, sir'; perhaps you may like to see master's niece. Miss Jemima is here."

"Yes," said Mr. Horton, "if at such a time there is any member of the family to whom I can speak, I shall be glad to do so, for my business is of importance."

The valet led the way, and Mr. Horton followed him into the breakfast-room.

"Wait a moment," said Mr. Horton, as the valet, after having placed a chair, was preparing to go. "When did this happen?"

"Last night, sir. It was very sudden. My poor mistress had gone to her room earlier than the usual time; her maid wondered why she didn't ring, and she waited, expecting to hear the bell every minute: she waited so long, that at last she thought it was time to go and see if anything was the matter. She found the door fastened; she knocked two or three times; but still there was no answer. Then she began to get frightened, and to think that something was wrong; so she bethought her of getting in by way of master's dressing-room. She went round to that door; but that was fastened too, and there was no light in the room, for if there had been a light it could have been seen through the upper part of the door, which is glass. So, sir, she came down again into the housekeeper's room, looking as white as a ghost; and we were all of us very much frightened too. I went at once to the drawing-room. Master always sits reading the newspaper to the very last

minute; but, poor gentleman, when I went to him, I found the paper on the floor, and he fast asleep. Indeed, sir, my heart ached to waken the dear old gentleman, for I had a surety it would be long before he would sleep so quietly again; but you see, sir, we could not do anything without master's orders."

"Proceed," said Mr. Horton, becoming very much excited.

“Why, sir, I broke it to my master as well as I could; but, just waking as he was, he didn't seem to catch the meaning of what I said, and was at first rather angry with me-not for having awoke him, but for having found him asleep, with the Morning Post on the floor; for, sir, he never liked to be found asleep with the—”

"Well, well!" said Mr. Horton, somewhat impatiently, "and what followed?"

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Why, sir, by degrees I made him understand; and then if you could but have seen my dear master's face, how it changed from red to white, and how wide his eyes opened, I do think, sir, you would never have forgotten it. He got up, he caught hold of me to keep himself from falling, and he gasped out for it was gasping rather than speaking— 'Let the door be opened!' and then he sank down on his chair again. It was well he did so-it was well he was not able to move, for he was saved a sight that would have turned him to stone. I rang the bell, and left the footman with master, and then I went to-to-do what he had ordered. The door of the dressing-room was easily forced. I took the candle from the housekeeper, and, followed by her and the maid, I entered the room. Oh, sir! it was a dreadful sight that we saw! There was my poor mistress stretched upon the floor, which was flooded with the blood still streaming from her mouth. My mistress, sir, had broken a blood-vessel. Her head was partly resting on a small clothes-press, which she had been lifting from its place; that place now looked like a table, and the top of it