ce, looking yellow and ghastly by the
light of a chamber candle, were those of Lady Lisle's agent and
confidential man.

Possibly from weariness, there was no spasmodic start, Trimmer staring
glassy-eyed and strange, and with his black felt hat looking battered
and soiled, while in their revulsion of feeling Jane and Mark found no
words to say.

"What are you two doing here?" said Trimmer at last, speaking in rather
a tongue-tied fashion, but as if in full possession of his faculties.

"Waiting up to let you in, sir," said Jane, sharply.

"It is not true," said the agent. "You must have known I could let
myself in. You two are holding a disgraceful clandestine meeting; and I
shall consider it my duty to report these proceedings when her ladyship
sees me after breakfast. I am called away for a few hours to London,
and upon my return the whole house is in disorder."

"Thank ye, sir; then I shall speak to her ladyship myself as soon as she
comes home," said Jane, pertly.

"What! Her ladyship not returned yet?"

"No, sir; and I've got to sit up till she do."

"Er--where has she gone? Someone ill?"

"Haw, haw, haw! Hark at that, Jane! He didn't see her ladyship's
carriage at the races. Oh, no! He didn't go and see old Sam Simpkins,
the trainer, and make a bet or two; not him! And I wasn't close behind
him in the crowd when the guv'nor came in a winner, and I didn't see him
bang his hat down on the ground and stamp on it. Oh, no! You give me
that hat, Mr Trimmer, sir, and I'll brush and sponge it and iron it into
shape so that it'll look as good as new."

The agent's countenance went through several changes before it settled
down into a ghastly smile.

"Well, well," he said, "I must confess to being attracted to seeing the
big race, but I did not know you would be there, Mark. But you surprise
me. Sir Hilton and her ladyship not returned? A great surprise,
though, Mark--Jane. You know, of course? Sir Hilton returning to the
old evil ways."

"Yah? Chuck it up, Mr Trimmer, sir," said Mark, in a tone of disgust;
"and when you tell her ladyship you caught me and Jane here talking
after she let me in, just you tell her how much you won on the race."

"Won--won--won, my lad?" said the agent, with loud, louder, loudest in
his utterance of the word. "I've lost; I'm nearly ruined. Oh, it has
been a horrible day. Here, I'm ill. I must have a little brandy, I'm
ready to faint."

"Sorry for you, si