suddenly, staggered towards the child, and
seized her hand.

"Come, Tot, you and I shall go out for a walk."

"Oh, Abel, don't. Dear Abel--"

But dear Abel was gone, and his wife, clasping her hands, looked
helplessly and hopelessly round the room. Then a gleam of light seemed
to come into her eyes. She looked up and went down on her knees.

Meanwhile Abel went into a public-house, and, calling for a pint of
beer, bade his child drink, but Tottie declined. He swore with an oath
that he'd compel her to drink, but suddenly changed his mind and drank
it himself.

"Now, Tot, tell father all about your visit to Miss Stivergill. She's
very rich--eh?"

"Oh! awfully," replied Tottie, who felt an irresistible drawing to her
father when he condescended to speak to her in kindly tones.

"Keeps a carriage--eh?"

"No, nor a 'oss--not even a pony," returned the child.

"An' no man-servant about the house?"

"No--not as I seed."

"Not even a gardener, now?"

"No, only women--two of 'em, and very nice they was too. One fat and
short, the other tall and thin. I liked the fat one best."

"Ha! blessin's on 'em both," said Mr Bones, with a bland smile. "Come
now, Tot, tell me all about the cottage--inside first, the rooms and
winders, an' specially the box of treasure. Then we'll come to the
garden, an' so we'll get out by degrees to the fields and flowers. Go
ahead, Tot."

It need scarcely be said that Abel Bones soon possessed himself of all
the information he required, after which he sent Tottie home to her
mother, and went his way.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

MISS LILLYCROP GETS A SERIES OF SURPRISES.

What a world this is for plots! And there is no escaping them. If we
are not the originators of them, we are the victims--more or less. If
we don't originate them designedly we do so accidentally.

We have seen how Abel Bones set himself deliberately to hatch one plot.
Let us now turn to old Fred Blurt, and see how that invalid, with the
help of his brother Enoch, unwittingly sowed the seeds of another.

"Dear Enoch," said Fred one day, turning on his pillow, "I should have
died but for you."

"And Miss Lillycrop, Fred. Don't be ungrateful. If Miss Lillycrop had
not come to my assistance, it's little I could have done for you."

"Well, yes, I ought to have mentioned her in the same breath with
yourself, Enoch, for she has been kind--very kind and patient. Now, I
want to know if that snake has come