and must marry money if he marries at all. I shall speak to
Sydney to-morrow; and I hope and trust I shall succeed in winning
her confidence. Thank Heaven, here we are at my door at last! I
can't say more now; I'm ready to drop. Good-night, dear; you look
tired, too. It's a nice thing to have friends, I know; but, oh,
what a relief it is sometimes to get rid of them!"

She kissed him, and let him go.

Left by himself, to compare his wife's innocent mistake with the
terrible enlightenment that awaited her, Linley's courage failed
him. He leaned on the quaintly-carved rail that protected the
outer side of the landing, and looked down at the stone hall far
below. If the old woodwork (he thought) would only give way under
his weight, there would be an escape from the coming catastrophe,
found in an instant.

A timely remembrance of Sydney recalled him to himself. For her
sake, he was bound to prevent Mrs. Presty's contemplated
interview with his wife on the next morning.

Descending the stairs, he met his brother in the corridor on the
first floor.

"The very man I want to see," Randal said. "Tell me, Herbert,
what is the matter with that curious old woman?"

"Do you mean Mrs. Presty?"

"Yes. She has just been telling me that our friend Mrs. MacEdwin