you, my young friend, what brings you down here,
eh?"

Young Brett was as sharp and ready as he was
straightforward. " Some business," he said,
without hesitation. " Welsh business, major.
Travelling makes one hungry, as you see."

"Welsh business?" said the major, slowly, and
looking at him steadily. " For a friend, I suppose,
not for yourself?"

"Common, every-day sort of thing," said
Young Brett, helping himself. " A little
confidential; you understand? Otherwise——"

"I dare say, now," said Major Carter, looking
at him still, " where it was a lady who could not
herself so conveniently travel, and who had a
smart handy enthusiastic young boy she could
send in her stead, to use his eyes and pry about,
and pick up facts to try and slander and ruin a
man who has never done him any harm, eh?
That's an honourable and a gentlemanly duty to
be employed on. Eh, Mr. Brett?"

Young Brett coloured. " I don't understand;
that is, I do understand," he added, hastily. " But
I think you assume——"

"Assume?" said the major, excitedly. " You
can't say that. I am behind the scenes. I know
most of what goes on. You are a brave, honourable,
upright fellow, and I tell you I am grieved
and ashamed to see you engaged in such a
business."

Young Brett was in sore distress. His lips
were sealed. " You make too much of this," he
said. " I have private business which I am not
at liberty to mention, and so——"

"As I say," continued the major, " you are a
gentleman, and have always been above dirty
work. Your friend, Miss Manuel, hates me, and
you know why. Because I interfered to save a
friend from a match that I considered was
unsuited for him. He would have embittered the
life of that poor girl. She would have been in
her grave now; you know she would. The girl
that he has married he is making wretched. And
for this, Miss Manuel has marked me; I know it;
she is determined to harass me in every way she
can. I could not believe such vindictiveness in
a Christian lady. I say it is shocking."

Young Brett's cheeks kindled. ." Do you
speak of Miss Manuel?" he said. " Those words
do not apply to her; to her least of any one in
the world. I can't sit by, Major Carter, and
have her so spoken of; I will not, indeed. She is
above all that—miles above it. If ever,"
continued Young Brett, with a trembling voice,
" there was a woman noble, and generous, and
devoted on this earth, it is she!"

"I know she has a friend in you," answered
the major, quickly, " and your defence of her is
honourable to you. But tell me this, is it noble
or generous to lead astray a young girl—a young
wife—to put her in the power of a cold, scheming
man of the world—hand her over to him—urge
him on—all to punish the man who left her
sister? Is this devoted or noble? I declare it
seems to me devilish."

Greatly excited, Young Brett said, " If you
mean this to apply to Miss Manuel, in her name
I fling it back. I could not believe that you could
dare to utter such horrible slanders. I deny them
—I won't hear them, Major Carter, and—I
must beg that this subject will not be pursued."

"With all my heart," said the other. " All I
say is, watch for yourself when you go back.
Take note of a Mr. Romaine and of Mrs. Fermor.
Ask Miss Manuel herself. There."

"I shall!" Young Brett said, in great heat,
" and within an hour after I arrive."

"Good," said the major. " I am content.
We will say no more about it, as you desire it.
Your warmth does you honour. Of course it
is excusable in her: she loved her sister; but I
implore of you reflect a moment before you go on.
I have had troubles enough in my life, and want
to end my days peaceably. Good God!"
continued the major, walking up and down, " it is
awful to think of. That any woman should
venture on so terrible a track—and, my dear
boy, I don't think you know the full force of
what you are required to do."

Young Brett looked at him wondering, and
still in distress. He had some qualms of
conscience, and the picture of the old soldier buffeting
wearily through life, and wishing to end his
days in calm, affected him a little. He was
almost on the point of speaking out candidly, and
relieving the major's mind by telling him that all
he had come down for was to hear something of
" poor Mrs. Carter's" last illness, when he
suddenly thought of Miss Manuel. She was so
wise, so superior, so good, that anything she
ordered and ordained must be right. He rose
hastily. " My dear major, this is a regular nightmare
of yours. Have a glass of sherry."

Carter's face changed. A few people, on a few
occasions in his life, had seen a strange fiendish
contraction spread over that face. It came on
this occasion. He stooped over. " Besides," he
said, " you don't think of the danger there is in
this sort of game. You won't take a friend's
advice. No? I am sure you won't. You would
be led by a bright, flashing woman—just as all
boys are led. Now take a friendly warning,
don't run your head against a stone wall. There
are people in this world, my dear boy, who, as
the phrase runs, stick at nothing. They would
crush, stamp on you, destroy you, to save
themselves. You are a brave, good little fellow—
rather foolish, though—and I should not like to
see you in trouble. Take care, Master Brett, and,
as a general rule through life, leave other people's
business alone."

Young Brett laughed very good humouredly.
Now that the major had dropped his character
of the poor " buffeted" old officer, he was quite
easy in his mind. " I am a stupid, foolish fellow,"
he said, " and they all tell me I want ballast. I
am very young, you know, and shall mend,
major. Are you staying in this house?"

Again the major's manner changed. He was
the man of the world once more. " I have to go