said, turning away, and colouring with
anger. "What base, cruel injustice, and to
come from you! This for ever ends it.
Go, I beg of you; insult us no more!"

He bowed and walked away quickly,
without a word. She looked after him
long, and with a beating heart. Then
turned, with a firmer and yet more heroic
purpose, to go through with her sacrifice,
and stand by her loved Peter to the end.

The next day our hero Peter came down
to his family with quite a firm and
determined air, but still full of good  humour
and pleasantry. "I'm getting into my
generalissimo's uniform,"he said, "jackboots,
gauntlets, and all the rest, for begad
I'll want 'em. Wait till you see how I'll
conduct this case. No one ever lifted his
boot, or her balmoral, to trample on Peter
Findlater. What is it Katey, my dear?
Look sprightly, my girl, and make all these
facets—isn't that the word for a cut jewel?
—sparkle like a cut urm'ld."

The Doctor meant, in his peculiar tongue,
the well-known precious stone. Katey
nervously told her father the news she had
heard the night before, and it really made
him wince.

"The hounds on my track, dear! Well
let 'em come on, and make a meal of Peter
as soon as they like. I'm growing very
weary and heart-scalded after all this. Let
their fangs meet in me. I can't go keeping
them off till my old age. All I ever wanted
was to give my girls an advantage, and if
I had to tramp through a few dirty places
long ago, it wasn't my fault. No doubt
it's all true what they've got at. But I am
heartsick, my pet, and you may do as you
like now; give up this man or take that
man, and leave me on the road. There!"

Give him up, this poor persecuted Peter,
struggling so gallantly for her, for them
all! Why her very heart bled for him.

"Let them say what they like, or do
what they like," she said, embracing him
passionately. " Oh, Peter, I'll stand by
you for ever!"

Just at that moment—and it was drawing
near the time when Cecil Leader's
appointment was about due—a note was
brought in, the Leader monogram entangled
in gold and colour, "a perfect cocoon,"
the Doctor said. It was from Mrs. Leader,
and ran:

"Mrs. Leader presents her compliments
to Dr. Findlater, and would be glad to see
him at the Castle, if convenient to him, on
some particular business. Perhaps eleven or
twelve o'clock would suit Dr. Findlater."

"No it wouldn't," said the Doctor, "and
she knows why. Doesn't this look like
lowering the flag to Peter, eh? Ah, wait,
pet. By the poker of Lilliput, she's coming
to terms!"

What this implement was no one could
tell, nor indeed had the Doctor heard of it
till that moment. But these metaphors
flashed upon him like inspirations.  However,
they did wait till eleven—till a quarter
past—till three quarters, his face growing
darker and more vindictive. "All right,"
he said to himself, as it came to twelve.
"I'll wait on you, my lady, and wait well!"

He was shown into the boudoir, where
Mrs. Leader, when enthroned and prepared
for company, fancied she left the impression
of something Watteau-like—such
clouds of perfumes, such clouds of lace and
colour floated about this mother of all the
loves. Not so was the Doctor affected.
He entered with a stern, hard face, and
she met him with one as hard, in which
there was some triumph.

"Cecil gave me a message for you," she
began, "about some appointment. He went
away this morning. We obtained the leave
which your friend Colonel Bouchier refused
us."

Again the Doctor's face grew dark.
"Oh, that's it, is it? Oh, then, that clears
the ground; and all restraint may be now
withdrawn."

"I hardly understand you," said the
lady, coldly. "I asked you to come here
this morning to talk this matter over like
people of the world. I see you are very
experienced, Doctor Findlater, and have
learned a good deal in your various
vicissitudes. I admit your force of character.
Suppose we meet half way, now. Anything
between the families in the way proposed,
is not to be thought of, not for a
second. I'll not have it, and Mr. Leader
won't, and it seems Cecil won't have it now.
But we have interest, and there are many
ways in which something substantial could
be done."

"Nothing so substantial as that, Mrs.
Leader; Mr. Cecil came to us, we didn't
go to him."

"Oh, are you quite sure of that? They
have told us a different story."

"He picked out my Katey; I have his
letter, and by the stone walls of this castle
I shan't let him go. Now you've stood up
to me, Mrs. Leader, take the consequences.
I'll have that, and nothing else. And
so you've settled—you and your privy
councillor, ma'am - to buy Peter Findlater