ow chuckle; and placed his finger on the side of
his nose, accompanying the motion with a sly expression, signifying an
utter disbelief in Rust's promises.

Rust gnawed his lip with fierce impatience, then taking the man by the
arm, he led him into the hall, and shut the door.

'I must speak out,' said he, 'and trust to your honor not to betray me. A
villain has seduced my child. I want time to find him, and to compel him
to make her his wife. Now you know why I ask a week.'

The officer at first whistled, then muttered something about its being a
hard case; but concluded by saying, in a positive tone: 'It can't be did,
Sir; I'm sorry for it; upon my word, I am; but I must keep you now that
I've got you. I wish you'd given me the slip at first; but I can't let you
go now. It's impossible--quite.'

Rust eyed the man, as if endeavoring to find in his hard features some
loop-hole to his more kindly feelings; but apparently he met with no
success.

'Well, if it can't be done, there's an end of it,' said he, abruptly
terminating his scrutiny. 'I've some other matters to speak of, and want a
few moments more. I'll not detain you long, and will call you when I'm
ready.'

'I'll give you all the time I can,' said the man, civilly.

Rust turned to enter the room, but as he did so he heard a quick step
behind him; and looking round, found himself face to face with a young man
of two or three and twenty, elegantly dressed, who eyed him carelessly,
and then passing him, entered the room with the air of one perfectly at
home. A suspicion of who he was flashed across Rust's mind. That he
himself was unknown to the other was not strange, for he had been so much
absent, and when he visited his child it was at such irregular intervals,
and for such short periods, that a person might have been even a frequent
visitor at his house, without encountering him. Nor was there any thing in
the outward appearance of the slovenly, haggard old man to attract
attention. But the indifference of the other was not reciprocated; for
Rust followed him, and closed the door after him, with feverish haste, as
if he feared his prey might escape him. He observed the deep blush that
sprang to the cheek of his daughter, at the entrance of the stranger; her
guilty, yet joyous look as he addressed her; and above all, he perceived
_his_ careless, cold, indifferent reply to her warm salutation; and a
feeling of revenge, the deadliest that he had ever felt, s