arry Beauchamp was restless, and Alison
felt almost faint with suspense; but at last the tramp of feet was heard
in the passage. Colonel Keith came first, and leaning over Alison's
chair, said, "Lady Temple will wait for me at the inn. It will soon be
all right."

At that moment a tall figure in mourning entered, attended by a
policeman. For the first time, Mauleverer's coolness gave way, though
not his readiness, and, turning to Mr. Grey, he exclaimed, "Sir, you
do not intend to be misled by the malignity of a person of this
description."

"Worse than a murderess!" gasped the scandalized widow Dench. "Well, I
never!"

Mr. Grey was obliged to be peremptory, in order to obtain silence, and
enforce that, let the new witness be what she might, her evidence must
be heard.

She had come in with the habitual village curtsey to Mr. Beauchamp,
and putting back her veil, disclosed to Alison the piteous sight of
the well-remembered features, once so bright with intelligence and
innocence, and now sunk and haggard with the worst sorrows of womanhood.
Her large glittering eyes did not seem to recognise Alison, but they
glared upon Mauleverer with a strange terrible fixedness, as if unable
to see any one else. To Alison the sight was inexpressibly painful,
and she shrank back, as it were, in dread of meeting the eyes once so
responsive to her own.

Mr. Grey asked the woman the name of the person before her, and looking
at him with the same fearful steadiness, she pronounced it to be Richard
Maddox, though he had of late called himself Mauleverer.

The man quailed for a moment, then collecting himself, said, "I now
understand the incredible ingratitude and malignity that have pointed
out against me these hitherto unaccountable slanders. It is a punishment
for insufficient inquiry into character. But you, sir, in common
justice, will protect me from the aspersions of one who wishes to drag
me down in her justly merited fall."

"Sentenced for three years! To take her examination!" muttered Mrs.
Dench, and with some difficulty these exclamations were silenced, and
Maria Hatherton called on for her evidence.

Concise, but terrible in its clear brevity, was the story of the agent
tampering with her, the nursemaid, until she had given him access to
the private rooms, where he had turned over the papers. On the following
day, Mr. Williams had been inquiring for his seal-ring, but she herself
had not seen it again till some months