"Conway off this evening. Hallo! I
must see him at once. Very odd his father
has not answered me. He had better not
forget his obligations to me. Do you know
anything of this?" he added, bluntly. "No,
of course you don't. What's over you,
girl? Have you lost your tongue? D'ye
want to make out a grievance against me,
because I did my duty as a clergyman? I
didn't want to have my house turned into a
mantrap. I didn't want to have snares and
gins set here."

She rose up. "I can't bear this, father,"
she said, passionately. "It must end here.
It will kill me if it goes on. That you have
no affection, no heart for me, I have seen
long ago. But you must spare me, in
common humanity. Above all, do not speak of
that—what I suppose are the wages for
which you sold me and my happiness. I
suppose they are not forthcoming. It is a
just judgment."

His large hand stopped as it was carrying
a bit of toast to his lips; his great eyes
stared at her.

"Oh, what treachery unexampled to sell
your own daughter's chance of happiness!"
She went on, "I always knew my duty to
you, and performed it. I put up with unkindness,
selfishness, and coarse rudeness before
strangers; what you did in private I did
not heed, because I was a daughter and you
my father, and a clergyman besides. If it
were told, say from a pulpit, that one in the
land could enter into a bargain, and deliberately
arrange for his own child's disappointment
and misery, it would be disbelieved.
They would say it might do for a
novel."

For once Doctor Bailey, a little taken
back at this view, attempted to justify
himself hotly. "I made no bargain. Don't
talk to me! Are you in your right mind?
I am entitled to my promotion: no one
more so, Heaven knows. Haven't I
slaved, and for you and the ungrateful
pack in this house, long enough? And so
you thought you were sure of the man,
Lord Formanton's son? You have the
assurance——"

"And you deny it in addition. For
shame, father."

"Don't speak to me, ma'am! How dare
you be insolent, or bring me to account!
I, that am filling your idle mouths from
the sweat of my brow——"

"Exactly." she said, coldly. "That is
what I have been thinking over these few
days. I cannot stay here longer. It is
chilling my very heart. I find neither
warmth nor sunshine, nor anything that
helps me to live. If I stay on in this atmosphere
I shall be changed into something
unnatural. I cannot stand it. I must go
out of this, or I shall die, body and soul."

"What insolence! I to be talked to in
this manner! Then go. Pack out as soon
as you like. You better think twice about
it, though, I tell you this, ma'am: you
shan't stay here, in my house, until you
come and apologise humbly to me for your
insolence. Nice things I have to put up
with."

"I do apologise to you," she said, calmly,
"if I have offended; but I must leave this
house. I shall get duller, and my reason
will go, if I stay. We were all made for
kindness, and a kind word, at least, once in
the year; while from you, I cannot call to
mind when I have ever received a gracious
or a tolerant word. Heaven forgive you,
father, and make you gentler and more
human."

He was about to throw open the floodgates,
and let the dirty torrent of his wrath
come bursting out, carrying stones and all
sorts of coarse matter with it, when they
were interrupted by a visitor. It was
Dudley, with an almost malignant air of
satisfaction on his face. He looked at her
curiously, and with her old instinct she
disdained to fly, but kept her ground.

Now Ready, price 5s. 6d., bound in green cloth,
               THE SECOND VOLUME
              OF THE NEW SERIES OF
               ALL THE YEAR ROUND.
            To be had of all Booksellers.

  MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FINAL READINGS.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FINAL FAREWELL
READINGS will take place at St. James's Hall, as
follows: Tuesday, March 1, "David Copperfield" (last
time), and the "Trial from Pickwick." Tuesday,
March 8, "Boots at the Holly Tree Inn" (last time),
"Sikes and Nancy" (from Oliver Twist, last time), and
"Mr. Bob Sawyer's Party" (from Pickwick, last time).
Tuesday, March 15 (FINAL FAREWELL READING),
"The Christmas Carol" (last time), and the
"Trial from Pickwick" (last time).

All communications to be addressed to Messrs.
CHAPPELL and Co., 50, New Bond-street, W.