elor in business, who was rich enough not to mind what people
said of him, and kept a lady there. She ran off from him, and he then
let it to some young man--a stranger, very eccentric, I hear--a Mr.--Mr.
Butler--and he, too, gave the cottage an unlawful attraction,--a most
beautiful girl, I have heard."

"Butler!" echoed Vargrave,--"Butler! Butler!" Lumley recollected that
such had been the real name of Mrs. Cameron.

Onslow looked hard at Vargrave.

"You recognize the name, my lord," said he in a whisper, as Hobbs had
turned to address himself to Mr. Howard. "I thought you very discreet
when I asked you, last night, if you remembered the early follies
of your friend." A suspicion at once flashed upon the quick mind of
Vargrave: Butler was a name on the mother's side in the family of
Maltravers; the gloom of Ernest when he first knew him, the boy's hints
that the gloom was connected with the affections, the extraordinary and
single accomplishment of Lady Vargrave in that art of which Maltravers
was so consummate a master, the similarity of name,--all taken in
conjunction with the meaning question of Mr. Onslow, were enough to
suggest to Vargrave that he might be on the verge of a family secret,
the knowledge of which could be turned to advantage. He took care not to
confess his ignorance, but artfully proceeded to draw out Mr. Onslow's
communications.

"Why, it is true," said he, "that Maltravers and I had no secrets. Ah,
we were wild fellows then! The name of Butler is in his family, eh?"

"It is. I see you know all."

"Yes; he told me the story, but it is eighteen years ago. Do refresh my
memory. Howard, my good fellow, just ride on and expedite dinner: Mr.
Hobbs, will you go with Mr. What's-his-name, the steward, and look over
the maps, out-goings, etc.? Now, Mr. Onslow--so Maltravers took the
cottage, and a lady with it?--ay, I remember."

Mr. Onslow (who was in fact that magistrate to whom Ernest had confided
his name and committed the search after Alice, and who was really
anxious to know if any tidings of the poor girl had ever been
ascertained) here related that history with which the reader is
acquainted,--the robbery of the cottage, the disappearance of Alice, the
suspicions that connected that disappearance with her ruffian father,
the despair and search of Maltravers. He added that Ernest, both before
his departure from England, and on his return, had written to him to
learn if Alice had ever been h