same
stimulating gratification which he now derived from it.

Fortunately the weather grew colder, and there was snow and excellent
sleighing, and now Burke sent for a fine double sleigh, and, with a fur
cap, a great fur collar over his overcoat, fur gloves, and an enormous
lap-robe of fur, he jingled and glided over the country in great
delight, enjoying the sight of the fur-garbed coachman in front of him
almost as much as the glittering snow and the crisp fresh air.

He invited the ladies of the Cliff mansion to accompany him in these
sleigh-rides, but although the Misses Thorpedyke did not fancy such cold
amusement, Mrs. Cliff and Willy went with him a few times, and once
Willy accompanied him alone.

This positively decided the opinion of Plainton in regard to his reason
for living in that town. But there were those who said that he might yet
discover that his plans would not succeed. Mrs. Cliff now seemed to be
in remarkably good health, and as it was not likely that Mr. Burke would
actually propose marriage to Willy until he saw some signs of failing in
Mrs. Cliff, he might have to wait a long, long time; during which his
intended victim would probably grow so wrinkled and old that even the
most debased of fortune-hunters would refuse to have her. Then, of
course, the fine gentleman would find out that he had lost all the time
he had spent scheming here in Plainton.

The Buskirks were spending this winter in their country home, and one
afternoon Mr. Burke thought he would drive up in his sleigh and make a
call upon them. He had been there before, but had seen no one, and some
weeks afterward Mr. Buskirk had dropped in at the hotel, but had not
found him. This sort of visiting did not suit our friend Burke, and he
determined to go and see what a Buskirk was really like.

Having jingled and pranced up to the front of the handsome mansion on
the hill, and having been informed that the gentleman of the house was
not at home, he asked for his lady, and, as she was in, he was ushered
into a parlor. Here, having thrown aside some of his superincumbent
furs, George Burke sat and looked about him. He had plenty of time for
observation, for it was long before Mrs. Buskirk made her appearance.

With the exception of Mrs. Cliff's house, with which he had had so much
to do, Burke had never before been inside a dwelling belonging to a very
rich person, and the Buskirk mansion interested him very much. Although
he was so