door-mat, but in that time Mrs. Cox was able in low whispers to apprise
her of the state of affairs.

"That's my uncle all over," said Mrs. Berry, fiercely; "that's just the
mean trick I should have expected of him. You leave 'em to me, my dear."

She followed her friend into the drawing-room, and having shaken hands
with Mr. Cox, drew her handkerchief from her pocket and applied it to
her eyes.

"She's told me all about it," she said, nodding at Mrs. Cox, "and it's
worse than you think, much worse. It isn't a broker's man--it's my poor
uncle, Joseph Piper."

"Your _uncle!_" repeated Mr. Cox, reeling back; "the broker's man your
_uncle?_"

Mrs. Berry sniffed. "It was a little joke on our part," she admitted,
sinking into a chair and holding her handkerchief to her face. "Poor
uncle; but I dare say he's happier where he is."

With its head tilted back, studyin Mr. Cox wiped his brow, and then,
leaning his elbow on the mantelpiece, stared at her in well-simulated
amazement.

"See what your joking has led to," he said, at last. "I have got to be a
wanderer over the face of the earth, all on account of your jokes."

"It was an accident," murmured Mrs. Berry, "and nobody knows he was
here, and I'm sure, poor dear, he hadn't got much to live for."

"It's very kind of you to look at it in that way, Susan, I'm sure," said
Mrs. Cox.

"I was never one to make mischief," said Mrs. Berry. "It's no good
crying over spilt milk. If uncle's killed he's killed, and there's an
end of it But I don't think it's quite safe for Mr. Cox to stay here."

"Just what I say," said that gentleman, eagerly; "but I've got no
money."

"You get away," said Mrs. Berry, with a warning glance at her friend,
and nodding to emphasise her words; "leave us some address to write to,
and we must try and scrape twenty or thirty pounds to send you."

"Thirty?" said Mr. Cox, hardly able to believe his ears.

Mrs. Berry nodded. "You'll have to make that do to go on with," she
said, pondering. "'And as soon as yoa get it you had better get as far
away as possible before poor uncl'e is discovered. Where are we to send
the money?"

Mr. Cox affected to consider.

"The White Horse, Newstead," he said at length, in a whisper; "better
write it down."

Mrs. Berry obeyed; and this business being completed, Mr. Cox, after
trying in vain to obtain a shilling or two cash in hand, bade them a
pathetic farewell and went off down the path, for some reason b