a constant supply of water. The lower part of the building was cased in wood which had been painted oak colour and varnished, but the gloss had been long since rubbed off. The lower windows, with their small panes of glass stretched from wall to wall, but from top to bottom they measured little more than three feet. Above was a broad balcony set in a rustic framework and railing. A huge earthen flower-pot stood at each end, while tables and benches were conveniently placed round about.

Tuppit did not enter the house; he walked up and down, disconsolately watching every approaching vehicle in expectation of seeing his brother alight from it. He had to wait long; but he was a patient little man, and the business he had in hand was too grave for him to think of quitting his post so long as there was a shred of hope that Wrentham would be wise for once and keep the appointment.

It was somewhat late in the afternoon when he came walking leisurely up from the

Green, as if he had no reason for haste. Tuppit led the way into the Inn, nodded to the burly landlord as he passed the bar, ascended a narrow staircase, and entered the room behind the balcony.

Wrentham at first affected an air of indifference, but the affectation was instantly laid aside when his brother sharply repeated the detective's warning and told him that the forged bill was in the hands of those who would make prompt use of it if he did not repay their generosity by a frank revelation of the schemes by which he had ruined Philip Hadleigh.

They were interrupted by the entrance of a little old man who was mumbling complainingly that he must and would have his beer and his pipe before he went home. This was spoken to a modestly dressed young woman. who was gently remonstrating with him. The old man shuffled across the floor to a seat. Tuppit opened the door of the balcony quickly and went out with his brother. In the dusk they could not be observed from the street.

Wrentham had not quite closed the door when he followed his brother. There was more hurried conversation and argument on Tuppit's part.

"What is it they want me to do?" asked Wrentham, sullenly.

"This is it," answered Tuppit, eagerly. "The real bill was given to me for your child's and wife's sake on the appeal of Mr. Philip-Coutts Hadleigh would have sent you to penal servitude. The first thing you have to do is to let Mr. Philip know that your insinuations about Miss Heathcote were made for the purpose of distracting his mind from the business, so that you might be free to play your own game."

"The next thing is, that as you have been dealing with firms whose clerks have given you invoices for double the amounts you paid them, you have to refund the money."

Wrentham, with elbows on his knees, rested his brow on his hands.

"I didn't say anything about Madge Heathcote that wasn't true."

"But you hinted a great deal that wasn't true, and you must own up to your purpose for doing it, or, by God, I'll bear witness against you myself."

The young woman and the old man quitted the Masons' Arms. That same evening Pansy Culver arrived unexpectedly at Willow

' mere.

CHAPTER LIII.

PANSY.

PANSY and her grandfather, Eben Morris, were the persons whose arrival at the Masons' Arms had interrupted Tuppit and his brother. Even had Wrentham's attention been disengaged, the light in the room was too dim for him to recognize the girl before he was dragged out to the balcony.

Pansy had left home in a woful state of mental perplexity; ashamed of her conduct to Caleb, anxious to hide from every one and to suppress in herself the silly fancies which had induced it. On alighting from the train at Liverpool Street, she was as much frightened by suddenly encountering Coutts Hadleigh as if he had been the Evil One. himself.

"Whither away, my forest nymph?" he