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"I thankee, Squire," the latter replied a little aardly, with a motion of his hand towards his forehead "I can't say the same for you, sir Them furrin parts has filled you out and hardened you I'll take the liberty of saying that I should never have recognised you, sir, and that's sure"

"This is Parkins," Mr Mangan went on, pushing his way once ed in London And--"

There was a queer and instantaneous silence The little group ofwhispered confidences as to their new master's appearance, were suddenly dumb All eyes were turned in one direction A woman whose advent had been unperceived, but who had evidently issued from one of the recesses of the hall, stood suddenly before them all She was as thin as a lath, dressed in severe black, with grey hair brushed back from her head and not even a white collar at her neck Her face was long and narrow, her features curiously large, her eyes filled with anger She spoke very slowly, but with some trace in her intonation of a north-country dialect

"There's no place in this house for you, Everard Doh to bar his progress "I wrote last night to stop you, but you've shown indecent haste in co There's no place here for a "

"My good woasped "This is really too much!"

"I've not come to bandy words with lawyers," the woman retorted "I've come to speak to him Can you face me, Everard Dominey, you who murdered my son and made a madwoman of your wife?"

The laould have answered her, but Dominey waved him aside

"Mrs Unthank," he said sternly, "return to your duties at once, and understand that this house is mine, to enter or leave when I choose"

She was speechless for a moment, amazed at the firmness of his words

"The house ly, "but there's one part of it at least in which you won't dare to show yourself"

"You forget yourself, woood as to return to your , and say that I wait only for her per hed, unpleasantly, horribly Her eyes were fixed upon Dominey curiously