fe to his mother, with two from Mr. Shanks, each of them
ending with the words "_read and burn_;" an injunction which she had
religiously failed to comply with. These letters formed a complete
series from the time of her quitting England up to that day. They gave
her information of the progress of the suit against Sir Philip Hastings,
and of its successful termination by his withdrawing from the defence.
The first letters held out to her, every day, the hope of a speedy
return to England. The later ones mentioned long fictitious
consultations with lawyers in regard to her return, and stated that it
was found absolutely necessary that she should remain abroad under an
assumed name. The last letter, however, evidently in answer to one of
remonstrance and entreaty from her, was the most important in Marlow's
eyes. It was very peremptory in its tone, asked if she wanted to ruin
and destroy her son, and threatened all manner of terrible things if she
suffered her retreat to be discovered. As some compensation, however,
for her disappointment, John Ayliffe promised to come and see her
speedily, and secure her a splendid income, which would enable her to
keep carriages and horses, and "live like a princess." He excused his
not having done so earlier, on the ground that his friend Mrs. Hazleton
had advanced him a very large sum of money to carry on the suit, which
he was obliged to pay immediately. The letter ended with these words,
"She is as bitter against all the Hastings' as ever; and nothing will
satisfy her till she has seen the last of them all, especially that
saucy girl; but she is cute after her money, and will be paid. As for my
part, I don't care what she does to Mistress Emily; for I now hate her
as much as I once liked her,--but you will see something there, I think,
before long."

"In the name of Heaven," exclaimed Marlow, as he read that letter, "what
can have possessed the woman with so much malice towards poor Emily
Hastings?"

"Why, John used always to think," said Mistress Ayliffe, with a weak
smile coming upon her face in the midst of her distress, "that it was
because Madame Hazleton wanted to marry a man about there, called
Marlow, and Mistress Emily carried him off from her."

The Commissary laughed, and held out his snuff-box to Marlow, who did
not take the snuff, but fell into a deep fit of thought, while the
Commissary continued his perquisitions.

Only two more papers of importance were found, an