glass, Oriental inlaid boxes and screens, with
several superb India shawls, scarfs, and dresses;
also a twenty-one years' lease of the villa; seventeen
to run.

Edward took unfurnished apartments in London,
near Russell-square: a locality in which, as
he learned from the 'Tiser, the rooms were large
and cheap; he packed just so much furniture as
was essential; no knick-knacks. It was to go by
rail on Monday; Mrs. Dodd and Julia were to
follow on Tuesday: Edward to stay at Barkington
and look after the sale.

Meantime their secret ally, Mr. Green, was
preparing his threatened coup. The more he
reflected the more he suspected that he had been
outwitted by Peggy Black; she had led him on,
and the pocket-book had been planted for him.
If so, why Peggy was a genius, and in his own
line; and he would marry her, and so kill two
birds with one stone: make a Detective of her
(there was a sad lack of female Detectives);
and, once his wife, she would split on her
master, and he should defeat that old
soldier at last, and get a handsome slice of the
£14,000.

He manœuvred thus; first, he went back to
London for a day or two to do other jobs, and
to let this matter cool: then he returned, and
wrote from a town near Barkington to Peggy
Black, telling her he had been sent away
suddenly on a job, but his heart had remained behind
with his Peggy: would she meet him at the gate
at nine that evening? He had something very
particular to say to her. As to the nature of
the business the enclosed would give her a hint.
She might name her own day, and the sooner
the better.

The enclosed was a wedding ring.

At nine this extraordinary pair of lovers met
at the gate; but Peggy seemed hardly at her
ease; said her master would be coming out and
catching her; perhaps they had better walk up
the road a bit. "With all my heart," said
Green; but he could not help a little sneer:
"Your master?" said he: "why he is your
servant, as I am. What, is he jealous?"

"I don't know what you mean, young man,"
said Peggy.

"I'll tell you when we are married."

"La, that is a long time to wait for my answer:
why, we ain't asked in church yet."

"There's no need of that; I can afford a
special license."

"Lawk a daisy: why you be a gentleman
then."

"No, but I can keep my wife like a lady."

"You sounds very tempting," murmured
Peggy, throwing her skirt over her head—for a
drizzle was beginning—  and walking slower and
slower.

Then he made hot love to her, and pressed her
hard to name the day.

She coquetted with the question till they came
near the mouth of a dark lane, called Lovers'
Walk; then, as he insisted on an answer, she
hung her head bashfully, and coughed a little
cough. At which preconcerted signal a huge
policeman sprang out of the lane and collared
Mr. Green.

On this Peggy, who was all Lie from head to
heel, uttered a little scream of dismay and
surprise.

Mr. Green laughed.

"Well, you are a downy one," said he. "I'll
marry you all the more for this."

The Detective put his hands suddenly inside the
policeman's, caught him by the bosom with his
right hand by way of fulcrum; and with his left
by the chin, which he forced violently back, and
gave him a slight Cornish trip at the same
moment; down went the policeman on the back
of his head a fearful crack: Green then caught
the astonished Peggy round the neck, kissed
her lips violently, and fled like the wind;
removed all traces of his personal identity, and up
to London by the train in the character of a
young swell, with a self-fitting eye-glass and a
long moustache the colour of his tender
mistress's eyebrow: tow.

From town he wrote to her, made her a formal
offer of marriage; and gave her an address to
write to "should she at any time think more
kindly of him and of his sincere affection."

I suppose he specified sincere because it was
no longer sincere: he hurled the offer into
Musgrove Cottage by way of an apple of discord; at
least so I infer from the memorandum, with
which he retired at present from the cash-hunt.

"Mr. Hardie has the stiff, I think: but, if
so, it is planted somewhere; doesn't carry it
about him; my Peggy is his mistress: nothing
to be done till they split."

Victorious so far, Mr. Hardie had still one
pressing anxiety; Dr. Sampson's placard: this
had been renewed, and stared him everywhere
in the face. Every copy of it he encountered
made him shiver: if he had been a man of
impulse, he would have torn it down wherever he
saw it: but he knew that would not do. However,
learning from Jane, who had it from old Betty,
who had it from Sarah, that Mrs. and Miss Dodd
would leave for London the day before the sale,
and Edward the day after it, he thought he might
venture in the busy intermediate time to take
some liberties with it. This he did with
excellent tact and judgment; Peggy and a bill-sticker
were seen in conference, and, soon after,
the huge bills of a travelling circus were pasted
right over both the rival advertisements in which
the name of Hardie figured. The consequence
was, Edward raised no objection; he was full of
the sale for one thing; but I suspect he was
content to see his own false move pasted over on
such easy terms.

On the Monday morning Peggy brought in the
letters, and Jane saw one in Alfred's handwriting.
She snatched it up, and cried "Papa, from