with his tone, and when a
message was brought to ask whether his Honour would be served in
private, the cheery greeting and shake of the hand broke down the
composure of the old servant who brought it, and he cried, "Oh, sir,
to see you thus, and such a fine young gentleman!"

Charles, the only person who could speak, gave the orders, but they
did not eat alone, for Sir Edmund Nutley and Sedley arrived with the
legal advisers, and it was needful, perhaps even better, to have
their company. The chief of the conversation was upon Hungarian and
Transylvanian politics and the Turkish war. Mr. Harcourt seeming
greatly to appreciate the information that Colonel Archfield was
able to give him, and the anecdotes of the war, and descriptions of
scenes therein actually brightened Sir Philip into interest, and
into forgetting for a moment his son's situation in pride in his
conduct, and at the distinction he had gained. "We must save him,"
said Mr. Harcourt to Sir Edmund. "He is far too fine a fellow to be
lost for a youthful mischance."

The meal was a short one, and a consultation was to follow, while
Sedley departed. Anne was about to withdraw, when Mr. Lee the
attorney said, "We shall need Mistress Woodford's evidence, sir, for
the defence."

"I do not see what defence there can be," returned Charles. "I can
only plead guilty, and throw myself on the King's mercy, if he
chooses to extend it to one of a Tory family."

"Not so fast, sir," said Mr. Harcourt; "as far as I have gathered
the facts, there is every reason to hope you may obtain a verdict of
manslaughter, and a nominal penalty, although that rests with the
judge."

On this the discussion began in earnest. Charles, who had never
heard the circumstances which led to the trial, was greatly
astonished to hear what remains had been discovered. He said that
he could only declare himself to have thrown in the body, full
dressed, just as it was, and how it could have been stripped and
buried he could not imagine. "What made folks think of looking into
the vault?" he asked.

"It was Mrs. Oakshott," said Lee, "the young man's wife, she who was
to have married the deceased. She took up some strange notion about
stories of phantoms current among the vulgar, and insisted on having
the vault searched, though it had been walled up for many years
past."

Charles and Anne looked at each other, and the former said, "Again?"

"Oh yes!" said Anne; "indeed there have