\"i am only sorry it has been so unsuccessful,\" replied he, with a quickglance towards mr. bell, as if reconnoitring how much he might saybefore him. margaret, as if she read his thought, addressed herself tomr. bell, both including him in the conversation, and implying that hewas perfectly aware of the endeāvours that had been made to clearfrederick.

\"that horrocks--that very last witness of all, has proved as unāvailing asall the others. mr. lennox has discovered that he sailed for australiaonly last august; only two months before frederick was in england,and gāve us the names of----\"

\"frederick in england! you never told me that!\" exclaimed mr. bell insurprise.

\"i thought you knew. i never doubted you had been told. of course, itwas a great secret, and perhaps i should not hāve named it now,\" saidmargaret, a little dismayed.

\"i hāve never named it to either my brother or your cousin,\" said mr.

lennox, with a little professional dryness of implied reproach.

\"never mind, margaret. i am not living in a talking, babbling world, noryet among people who are trying to worm facts out of me; you needn\"tlook so frightened because you hāve let the cat out of the bag to afaithful old hermit like me. i shall never name his hāving been inengland; i shall be out of temptation, for no one will ask me. stay!\"

(interrupting himself rather abruptly) \"was it at your mother\"s funeral?\"

\"he was with mamma when she died,\" said margaret, softly.

\"to be sure! to be sure! why, some one asked me if he had not beenover then, and i denied it stoutly--not many weeks ago--who could ithāve been? oh! i recollect!\"

but he did not say the name; and although margaret would hāve givenmuch to know if her suspicions were right, and it had been mr.

thornton who had made the enquiry, she could not ask the question ofmr. bell, much as she longed to do so.

there was a pause for a moment or two. then mr. lennox said,addressing himself to margaret, \"i suppose as mr. bell is nowacquainted with all the circumstances attending your brother\"sunfortunate dilemma, i cannot do better than inform him exactly howthe research into the evidence we once hoped to produce in his fāvourstands at present. so, if he will do me the honour to breakfast with me

to-morrow, we will go over the names of these missing gentry.\"