other in the hospital and
her lover in the toils of an abominable American woman was natural
enough.

'What's this about Felix?' asked Roger. The new trouble always has
precedence over those which are of earlier date.

'Oh Roger, I am so glad to see you. Felix did not come home last
night, and this morning there came a man from the hospital in the city
to say that he is there.'

'What has happened to him?'

'Somebody,--somebody has,--beaten him,' said Hetta whimpering. Then she
told the story as far as she knew it. The messenger from the hospital
had declared that the young man was in no danger and that none of his
bones were broken, but that he was terribly bruised about the face,
that his eyes were in a frightful condition, sundry of his teeth
knocked out, and his lips cut open. But, the messenger had gone on to
say, the house surgeon had seen no reason why the young gentleman
should not be taken home. 'And mamma has gone to fetch him,' said
Hetta.

'That's John Crumb,' said Roger. Hetta had never heard of John Crumb,
and simply stared into her cousin's face. 'You have not been told
about John Crumb? No;--you would not hear of him.'

'Why should John Crumb beat Felix like that?'

'They say, Hetta, that women are the cause of most troubles that occur
in the world.' The girl blushed up to her eyes, as though the whole
story of Felix's sin and folly had been told to her. 'If it be as I
suppose,' continued Roger, 'John Crumb has considered himself to be
aggrieved and has thus avenged himself.'

'Did you--know of him before?'

'Yes indeed;--very well. He is a neighbour of mine and was in love with
a girl, with all his heart; and he would have made her his wife and
have been good to her. He had a home to offer her, and is an honest
man with whom she would have been safe and respected and happy. Your
brother saw her and, though he knew the story, though he had been told
by myself that this honest fellow had placed his happiness on the
girl's love, he thought,--well, I suppose he thought that such a
pretty thing as this girl was too good for John Crumb.'

'But Felix has been going to marry Miss Melmotte!'

'You're old-fashioned, Hetta. It used to be the way,--to be off with
your old love before you are on with the new; but that seems to be all
changed now. Such fine young fellows as there are now can be in love
with two at once. That I fear is what Felix has thought;--and now he
has been punished.'

'You know