Marmaduke could gain anything by the young girl's death, he would
not hesitate to ... Nay! she would not even frame that thought.
Marmaduke had been kind to her; she could but hope that temptation such
as that, would never come his way.

Hymn-of-Praise Busy broke in on her meditations. His nasal tones--which
had a singular knack of irritating her as a rule--struck quite
pleasingly on her ear, as a welcome interruption to the conflict of her
thoughts.

"Master Skyffington, ma'am," he said in his usual drawly voice, "he is
on his way to Dover, and desired his respects, an you wish to see him."

"Yes! yes! I'll see Master Skyffington," she said with alacrity, rising
from her chair, "go apprise Sir Marmaduke, and ask Master Skyffington to
come within."

She was all agitation now, eager, excited, and herself went forward to
meet the quaint, little wizened figure which appeared in the doorway.

Master Skyffington, attorney-at-law, was small and thin--looked doubly
so, in fact, in the black clothes which he wore. His eyes were blue and
watery, his manner peculiarly diffident. He seemed to present a
perpetual apology to the world for his own existence therein.

Even now as Mistress de Chavasse seemed really overjoyed to see him, he
backed his meager person out of the doorway as she approached, whereupon
she--impatiently--clutched his arm and dragged him forward into the
hall.

"Sit down there, master," she said, speaking with obvious agitation, and
almost pushing the poor little man off his feet whilst dragging him to a
chair. "Sir Marmaduke will see you anon, but 'twas a kind thought to
come and bring me news."

"Hem! ... hem! ..." stammered Master Skyffington, "I ... that is ... hem
... I left Canterbury this morning and was on my way to Dover ... hem
... this lies on my way, ma'am ... and ..."

"Yes! yes!" she said impatiently, "but you have some news, of course?"

"News! ... news!" he muttered apologetically, and clutching at his
collar, which seemed to be choking him, "what news--er--I pray you,
ma'am?"

"That clew?" she insisted.

"It was very slight," he stammered.

"And it led to naught?"

"Alas!"

Her eagerness vanished. She sank back into her chair and moaned.

"My last hope!" she said dully.

"Nay! nay!" rejoined Master Skyffington quite cheerfully, his courage
seemingly having risen with her despair. "We must not be despondent. The
noble Earl of Northallerton hath interested himself of late in