'Independent, sir! not a bit of it,' answered Conway, smiling. 'Whatever this girl says-God bless her! I believe you are prepared to swear to. Well' this with a little sigh-let it be as you please.'

Thus it came about that the very next morning Nelly presented herself at Coromandel Lodge. It was the first time she had seen its mistress since she had left the hotel at Sandybeach; not that Mrs. Wardlaw nourished any anger against her, but the good lady hoped that, if she kept aloof, solitude and discomfort would be her best assistants to drive her darling back the sooner to her friendly arms. Ah, you are coming back to us, my darling; I see it in your pretty eyes,' was her welcome; you could never dare to smile like that if you meant to be as obstinate as ever.'

6

Then Nelly told her, in brief terms, what was the reason of her having such a happy face: how in Mr. Pearson she had found the father she had so long mourned as dead. Then she went on to say that to none but to so dear and tried a friend as she to whom she spoke would she have confided this, since the disclosure of it would reflect upon Ralph Pennicuick's memory.

"That wouldn't hurt it much,' returned Mrs. Wardlaw drily, for she was one of those 'good haters' who, while allowing the force of the de mortuis nil nisi bonum argument, still think with the poet that truth should be spoken in any case:

Rien jusqu'ici poursuivre une mémoire ;
Rien-excepté la vérité.

'But at least you should consider Raymond, Mrs. Wardlaw.' 'To be sure, my dear; I have forgotten him: although I must say that the lad has sadly disappointed me. I thought that, when his father was dead, the lad would not have lost a moment--' 'Dear Mrs. Wardlaw,' put in Nelly quietly, I have promised to be his wife.'

6

"You, darling!' cried the old lady rapturously, and embraced her on the spot. Whatever shall I get you good enough for your marriage present! Oh, when is it to be?'

Alas, dear Mrs. Wardlaw, my father is in a very critical state of health. I am thinking of nothing but him at present.'

'Then let him come down here at once, and be nursed,' was the other's prompt reply. Richmond air is better than London smoke. We have room for half-a-dozen such patients: and I am so fond of him-though I did think him queer-already, you know; but, Nelly, I must tell John.'

'Of course you must, dear Mrs. Wardlaw. husband's discretion is to be relied upon.'

I know your

'Yes, indeed, I wish it wasn't: I mean, I wish he would talk

things over a little more. I think his going to all those auctions makes him reticent; he seems to be afraid of opening his mouth lest he should be knocked down for something without intending it. But I'll manage him, you may rely upon it."

That very evening she made her approaches, and carried the citadel-her point-though under very disadvantageous circumstances. Mr. Wardlaw had met with a misfortune at a wine sale : he had gone to buy claret, but had tasted some hock which pleased his palate, and had bidden 35s. for it. When it was knocked down to him, he found it was being sold by the bottle and not by the dozen. No wonder he had liked the wine, but he didn't like the price.

It required, therefore, some considerable dexterity on the part of his wife to bring him into his natural condition of mind— which was one, as we know, of the most unbounded hospitality.

When this was attained Mrs. Wardlaw told him Nelly's story, and the difficulty that had arisen of bringing father and daughter under the same roof.

'He must be disposed of by private contract,' said Mr. Wardlaw thoughtfully.

'What on earth do you mean, John? how can you of your auction sales on such an occasion as this?'

be thinking

'I mean, there can be no public competition for the pleasure of his presence, my dear; why shouldn't he come here, to Coromandel Lodge? His daughter will come, of course, to nurse him; only we will give out that she has come back to us, as we always wished her to do, and that we have arranged for her having a resident tutor. Yes, that will be a capital plan.'

He did not seem to think there was the least generosity or benevolence in the arrangement; but only that it was a convenient one for all parties.

'John,' said Mrs. Wardlaw, with quiet pride, 'you are a duck:' and she kissed him.

So it came about that Arthur Conway was received at Coromandel Lodge with a welcome with which few sick guests-except very rich ones-are received anywhere; and all out of love and kindness. For Nelly to talk of obligation was, as she protested, ridiculous, since she owed more than a lifetime could repay to these good friends already.

Then why do you talk of it, my dear?' said Mr. Wardlaw logically. And he forbade the least allusion to it upon Captain Conway's part as being exciting, and therefore prejudicial to the patient's health.

'I can only say,' said the sick man with tears in his eyes, 'that it seems to me, so far as Nelly is concerned, I might just as

well have stopped in China, since she has found both father and mother in England.'

'We have only done our best as such,' said Mrs. Wardlaw, 'by proxy.'

Besides these two new inmates of the Lodge there would, but for the look of the thing,' as its mistress said, have been a third in the person of Raymond; and, indeed, he was so frequent a guest, that he might almost as well have taken up his quarters there.

All the kindness of this excellent couple could not, however, save Arthur Conway's life; he had no particular ailment, but his whole constitution was broken beyond doctors' mending. He suffered no pain, and was perfectly placid and happy, except that he evinced great anxiety to have the young people married. Nelly combated this notion (though we may be sure it was not otherwise distasteful to her) from the sense that it was unbecoming to think of marriage while the shadow of death, as it were, was hovering over her father: but he gained Mrs. Wardlaw's ear, and through her influence obtained his wish.

'My dear Nelly,' said she, 'you are positively weakening what little hope remains to us of your father's restoration to health, by your foolish scruples.'

To this Nelly could answer nothing, save that she was in her friend's hands.

The marriage was therefore at once arranged for even the lawyers did not delay it, since their instructions were simplicity itself. The twenty-one thousand pounds that were, by rights, Conway's own, were taken as his daughter's and settled absolutely upon her, at Raymond's wish, for her sole use and benefit.' He was not going to lie under Mrs. Wardlaw's suspicions, he said, the second time. She had thought he had neglected Nelly when she was poor, and might possibly imagine he only married her because she was an heiress. On her resenting this with becoming indignation, he whispered something in her ear, which he flattered himself would cover her with confusion; but it had not that effect at all.

'I know I did,' said she (he had alluded to her advocacy of Mr. Herbert Milburn); I thought very well of the young man, and you seemed to have withdrawn from the field. It was my duty to do the best I could do--though it was only the second best of what I wished-for Nelly. I liked you very much, Raymond Pennicuick, but I liked my darling more.'

And quite right too, dear Mrs. Wardlaw,' cried the young fellow, and I love you (if your husband, and Nelly, will permit me to say so) all the better for so doing.'

But Mr. Herbert Milburn was always a subject of pleasant

-though quite private-raillery between Mrs. Wardlaw and Raymond.

The marriage was of course a very quiet one: indeed, no guests were bidden to it; but that did not prevent the arrival of many marriage presents. As the rain falls most plentifully upon moist ground, so, when folks are rich and do not want them, these gifts are always in the greatest profusion. It was astonishing how many acquaintances of Nelly Conway's-about whom she knew almost as little as we ourselves-became her friends when she married Mr. Ralph Pennicuick's son and heir. One present, but not sent from the same motives, arrived several months after Raymond and Nelly were man and wife. It was a magnificent China shawl from Mr. Milburn, forwarded through his sister's hands, with dear Herbert's kind regards and best wishes,' to Nelly. The splendour of this gift-only second to one she had received from Mrs. Wardlaw herself-excited that lady's highest commendation.

6

6

'I always thought, you know, my dear Raymond,' said she mischievously, that our dear Nelly might have done better with herself."

But that is not our opinion, as indeed it is needless to say it was not seriously hers. There was never a happier married pair than Raymond and Nelly Pennicuick.

At the very first, however, there was a sad trouble, though an expected one. Hardly had Arthur Conway obtained his wish of seeing his daughter wedded than Death claimed him. Indeed, the young couple were summoned from their wedding tour to his death-bed. He was alive when they arrived, and that was all. His mind was wandering chiefly on matters that had taken place at Dhulang; and I think that from his wild talk-joined with certain suspicions of her own-Nelly learnt more of the true state of the case than when in his right mind he had told her. If so, she only loved him more, not her husband less; and indeed, in what had he offended? A bad son may indeed sometimes lay his sins at his father's door; but for a father's sins what son can be answerable?

Just at the last, as often happens, Conway's wandering wits returned to him. He recognised his daughter and bade her a loving farewell.

I shall see her, and we shall be made one again through you, my darling,' were his last words. 'Let me be buried in the same grave with her.'

It was an inexpressible comfort to poor Nelly that her father's last thoughts had reverted-and in such tender fashion-to her mother.

(The End.)

BELGRAVIA.

JUNE 1878,

The Haunted Hotel:

A MYSTERY OF MODERN VENICE.

BY WILKIE COLLINS.

(The right of translation is reserved.)

THE FIRST PART.

CHAPTER I.

N the year 1860, the reputation of Doctor Wybrow as a London physician reached its highest point. It was reported on good authority that he was in receipt of one of the largest incomes derived from the practice of medicine in modern times.

One afternoon, towards the close of the London season, the Doctor had just taken his luncheon after a specially hard morning's work in his consulting-room, and with a formidable list of visits to patients at their own houses to fill up the rest of his day-when the servant announced that a lady wished to speak to him.

Who is she?' the Doctor asked. A stranger?' 'Yes, sir.'

'I see no strangers out of consulting-hours. Tell her what the hours are, and send her away.'

I have told her, sir.'

'Well?'

6 And she won't go.'

'Won't go?' The Doctor smiled as he repeated the words. He was a humourist in his way; and there was an absurd side to the situation which rather amused him. Has this obstinate lady given you her name?' he inquired.

'No, sir. She refused to give any name-she said she wouldn't keep you five minutes, and the matter was too important to wait

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