. Getting a
man murdered in a shooting-box might mean something equivalent to "There
you go, with your eye out!" which has no meaning at all. But although I
had persuaded myself of this, I made no mention at Howkey of the
ferocious-looking Percy Marvale, but merely asked my friend Old Smith to
come over, and help me to welcome the new neighbour. Sibylla, who had
all along been of opinion that Mr Frank Edwards was engaged to his
tutor's daughter, and took no interest in him accordingly, was all of a
sudden seized with an uncommon affection for my wife. She felt for the
awkwardness of her position so much in being the only lady among so many
gentlemen, that she insisted on going over with her father, merely to
bear her company; and, from the sympathizing countenance of her fair
sister Monimia, I expected every moment a similar offer from her. The
Williamses, and old Harry Lambert and his son, were the only others I
could catch on so short a notice; but we all determined to make up in
friendliness for the paucity in numbers, and give young Frank a hearty
welcome to his native county.

We were all assembled in the drawing-room--that is to say, all but the
party from Bandvale--and Mr Smith was laying down the law, or rather
explaining it after his usual manner, when Sibylla, who had stood at the
window, all of a sudden gave a slight scream, and flushed up to the eyes
like a peony rose.

"Why, what's the matter, Sib?" said Old Smith; "has a bee stung you."

"No, no!" she said; "but I saw likeness--a something"--

"What was it you saw?" enquired my wife--"a ghost?"

Sibylla lifted up her eyes to the ceiling, and said nothing; for at that
moment the door opened, and Frank Edwards and Mr Percy Marvale were
announced.

"No, not a ghost," whispered Sibylla to my wife, "but an apparition I as
little expected to see--I knew Mr Marvale in town."

The introduction was soon over; and Mr Marvale, on being presented to
Miss Sibylla, exhibited as much surprise as that young lady had done at
the window. I watched him as closely as if I had been one of the
detective police; but, saving an enormous amount of puppyism and
affectation, I could trace nothing very unusual in his appearance.
Frank, on the other hand, was a fine open-mannered fellow, that one took
to at once; and it was a mystery to me how he could be so intimate with
a person so different from himself. Pity such a good-dispositioned youth
should fall into the hands of suc