Aggles was not a person who would interfere with their privileges, and turn everything in the house upside down.

After she had been with Rachel for a few minutes, she came downstairs and spoke some words to Doctor Dilton; then she shut herself up in the library, and remained so quiet, Mr. Simonds, to use his own words, 'grew quite uneasy about her,' and 'made so bold,' after a couple of hours, as to go in and ask what she would like to have for luncheon.

It is quite unnecessary, perhaps, to say the servants had, in the interim, dined heartily, and partaken of wine with a good deal of feeling.

Mrs. Larrup remarked, after a sigh of repletion, 'We are here to-day and there to-morrow.' Miss Winter, who, though hard and acid-looking, professed a fondness for poetry, and was even supposed to be given to coquetting with the Muses herself, murmured something concerning flowers of the field,' while combating her regret with sherry, which the company generally drank out of tumblers, not being,' as the upperhousemaid said, 'fashionable folks, thank Heaven, or even rich.'

Which was the point where Sir John's servants drew the line in Holyrood House; it is the point where more servants than are supposed draw the line.

They believed Sir John was rich, but they knew he was not fashionable; and one of them said she always felt her ladyship was very little better than themselves.

'Speak for yourself, please,' entreated Miss Winter, who, having partaken of a considerable amount of wine, felt herself a person of very great consequence indeed.

know who mine was. He kept a livery-stable at the back of the Edgware-road, and little thought his daughter would ever have to eat the bread of servitude. But it would puzzle any of you to say who my lady's father was, or whether she ever had one.'

'Come, come,' said Mr. Simonds, let's have no more of this;' and to emphasise that he, for one, did not approve of such talk, he poured the wine which remained into his own tumbler, and saying he thought the strange lady must want something, hurried up-stairs, walked across the hall, and opened the library-door.

Miss Aggles was sitting at the table where Sir John had sat, with a Bible spread open before her, poring over the text she could hardly see, so dim were her eyes with tears.

I could not eat anything, thank you,' she said mildly, in answer to Mr. Simonds' inquiry; ' and I do not take wine. Presently, if not inconvenient, I should like a cup of tea.'

During the course of the afternoon, Doctor Dilton returned to tell her he had made every arrangement it was possible to make before the return of Sir John.

While he stayed talking, and just as the dusk of evening was settling down over the great lonely room Lady Moffat could never survey with satisfaction, or pace restlessly again, Simonds entered to say Mr. Lassils was in the boudoir; for though he, Simonds, had told him of the misfortune about her ladyship, indeed, he earnestly requested permission to speak to Miss Aggles for a mo

ment.'

'No, thank you, I will go,' she answered; and rising, she proceeded, after adjusting her orderly curls, and shaking out the folds of her dress a little, to the room her niece could never find pride nor pleasure in more.

Under the gaslights, which Mr. Simonds had, in recognition of the deep distress in which the household was supposed to be plunged, turned down as low as possible, stood Mr. Lassils, hat in hand, his thoughts occupied about the first occasion when he entered the house, not a year previously.

'I beg your pardon for intruding,' he said, starting a little as Miss Aggles, coming quietly forward, addressed him.

I am sure

I am awfully sorry to hear about what has happened and all that, and I should not have come in, only I wanted to give you one hint. You know best, of course, but if I were in your place, I would square Miss Bunks.'

'I scarcely understand,' said Miss Aggles, bewildered.

'Doctor Dilton is here, is he not? he will know what I mean. Don't neglect the warning. Square Miss Banks. She can make matters very unpleasant if she likes.'

CHAPTER XL.

THERE IS MONEY TO BE MADE.'

By the time Sir John Moffat reached home, which he did on the evening of the next day, the inquest was over, the undertaker's men were in charge, paragraphs had appeared in the daily papers, headed, Lamentable Occurrence,' 'Sad Accident from the Use of Chloral,' 'Terrible Tragedy,' and suchlike.

Holyrood House had all day been besieged by persons who

came to make inquiries and express their sympathy. There were as many cards on the marble slab as there had been when Lady Moffat first came to view the desirable residence. People shook their heads gravely about the matter. There was quite a hum of curiosity and confusion. All Kensington, as though possessed of one mind, busied itself about the Moffats: wondered, pitied, gossiped.

There seemed but a single exception, and that, under most circumstances, might have been accounted remarkable. It was not so, however, as affairs stood in the narrow house out of which Miss Banks had made much capital. She was not flitting about the parish, emptying her little basket of news for the benefit of this dear friend and that delightful acquaintance, for a very sufficient reason —she had her dead too, and was mourning most sincerely. The dreadful object,' 'the frightful affliction,' her cross,' her trial,' her burden so nobly borne,' was gone where he could not be of use to her in any way for evermore. He had departed, and his income had departed also; and what was worse than both, at the same moment an insurance office, in which Miss Banks had with the savings of years purchased an annuity, collapsed also. Miss Banks was not a religious woman, or given to much biblical reference, whether verbal or otherwise. Nevertheless, as she sat gloomily in her little parlour pondering upon what had occurred, she did think about Job, and how first one messenger and then another rushed in the bearer of evil tidings.

Only one ray of comfort had pierced the darkness of her future, and that came from an unexpected source. As she remembered it

'The girls must have some one to chaperon them,' she considered; and, after all, might she still not be able to keep on the narrow house, and live almost constantly at Palace Gardens also?

There would be an indefiniteness-an absence of formal engagement about such a plan which might commend itself to Sir John.

She had not thought of such a possibility before. Now it did enter her mind, Miss Banks was not one to go to sleep over it.

'I must send round Niel to inquire how they are,' she considered; or would it be better for me to step across to see Rachel? In the dark no one would

know me.

And yet perhaps I might meet some person who would be surprised to see me out. No, I will write a note.'

Having arrived at which determination, she rang the bell, and desired that Niel might be sent to her.

'He is out, ma'am,' answered the cook.

'Tell me when he returns, then,' said Miss Banks; and she turned back to her contemplation of the fire with a frown. Life without the 'object's' incomewithout any income save that she could make-without a house, without servants, without Niel -would not, she felt, be much worth the having.

'And I can perceive a difference in Niel already,' she re

If she had known what Niel the invaluable was doing at that very moment she might with justice have considered him a greater trial than the 'object' had ever been. He was standing near the tradesmen's entrance to Holyrood House, in close conversation with Mr. Simonds. Screened by sheltering evergreens, and perfectly secure from eavesdroppers by reason of knowing where every individual member of the household was bestowed, the pair talked about the late tragedy and the events which had preceded it.

And what I say,' observed Miss Banks' right-hand man, 'is this there is money to be made out of it, and I don't see why we should not make it as well as anybody else. What is wanted is to get up a controversy in the papers about this death. No one believes she came to her end fairly.'

'I'm sure she did not come to it unfairly,' retorted Simonds. 'You'll be saying presently I gave her the stuff, I suppose?'

'No; but as you remarked yourself a while ago, there have been queer goings-on in this establishment.'

'If you like to call it an establishment,' answered the butler, with a fine sneer. 'I never saw such ways of getting on before. Money spent like water, and nothing to show for it worth having. No great perquisites to speak of. A wonderful set out of company

at first, and then all dropped except your Miss Banks as head-dish, and Mr. Woodham to match. My lady keeping her room half the time; and Sir John scarcely ever in the house so long as he could stay out of it. I am sure at one time I thought he was making a bolt of it, like Mr. Seaton. Now I believe there had been some terrible quarrel between him and my lady, and that that strange lady from the house higher up the Gardens had something to do with it.'

That is exactly what ought to be ventilated,' said Niel eagerly. The way that inquest was hurried over cannot be considered other than a most disgraceful proceeding. It was a perfect hole-andcorner affair. Why, as a gentleman said to me no later than this morning, not a soul is a bit wiser on the subject of the Moffats than before Lady Moffat died.'

'They are a close lot,' agreed Mr. Simonds.

Why, you know little or nothing about them,' suggested Niel, touching on what he was well aware to be a sore spot.

'Perhaps there is not much to know,' hazarded Simonds.

And perhaps there may be. Look here,' went on the speaker impressively, when money is to be made why do you hold back your hand? I know the old woman was bribed to hold her tongue. Young Lassils came to our house last night, and made it well worth her while to keep silence. why should not it be made worth our while to speak out? There was something queer about my lady, and the whole establishment had not the true ring. If we just work that up a little it may be found expedient to give us something handsome. What do you say?'

Now

I can't say anything at the minute,' returned Simonds. 'You see there is the future to con

sider, and I must take time to think over the matter.'

'But while you are thinking time is slipping on and the chances are vanishing,' said Niel pathetically.

'What are your chances?' asked Simonds.

'O, if you choose to be cautious, I can be cautious too,' was the offended answer.

'All right. It is one of the Sunday papers, I suppose l' Niel did not reply.

'You won't get much out of them,' suggested Simonds disparagingly.

Never you mind how much, as you don't want to go shares,' said Niel, falling into the trap laid for him. 'I can only tell you that you are cutting yourself out of a nice thing-a very nice thing-by refusing to open your mouth.'

'If I did open it I should find little to say,' returned Simonds, whose mind was now quite made up. Except that my lady's temper was bad at times-that Sir John's ways were not quite the ways of what I should call a gentleman-I have nothing to say against the people or the place. The great fault I ever had to find with it was your mistress being let to come in and out of the house as if she owned it.'

'Take care she does not come over and stay in it altogether,' said Niel, with a jeering laugh. 'Now she has lost nearly all she had, Holyrood House might not be a bad sort of refuge.'

I think the only person who had any liking for her cannot do much for her in the future,' answered Simonds. But what she tries or leaves untried does not signify much to me.. I'll bid you good-evening now, as I may be wanted.'

Having ascertained that he was

• Sir

'I thought I had better see you, sir,' began Simonds. John is a very reserved gentleman, and might take what I think some one ought to know amiss. Since I first went into service I have always made it a rule to stand by the family whose bread I eat. I consider that nothing but honest; and hearing casually there is likely to be a stir made in some of the papers about her ladyship's death, I have taken the liberty of mentioning the matter to you.'

What about her ladyship's death? and what more is there to be said about it than has been said?' asked Mr. Lassils sharply.

Nothing, sir, that I know of; but it is wonderful what the newspaper gentlemen can spin out of the merest thread. So far as I understand, some remarks are going to be made about the inquest having been a hole-andcorner sort of affair.'

'But it was not,' interrupted Mr. Lassils.

No, sir, of course not; and what I-who, of course, am acquainted with all the circumstances of the lamentable affair was going to remark was, that I think it would be well-you'll

excuse my freedom, sir-to take no notice whatever of any paragraph or article; and if any person wants any money either for giving or withholding information, to refuse to pay it. We in the house have nothing to tell, and when there is nothing to tell, it stands to reason remarks such as may appear will be forgotten after a very few days. If a statement appears headed "The Mystery in Palace Gardens," it may be unpleasant, but it can't be helped. I thought you might be asked to buy a certain person off; so I took the liberty of seeing you. He knows nothing, and he can tell nothing.'

There is nothing to know,' remarked Mr. Lassils.

'No, sir; that is what I observed a little while ago, if you remember. They were gentry as always kept their affairs to themselves. I never lived in a place before where the servants knew so little of what was going on.'

And having with solemn severity delivered himself of thiswhich might, indeed, be called a blow straight from the shoulderMr. Simonds coughed modestly and stood at ease.

Mr. Lassils looked at him; he looked at Mr. Lassils; and without another word being spoken they understood each other.

'It is very good indeed of you to give us this hint,' said Mr. Lassils, after that short pause.

'It was only my duty, sir,' answered Simonds, without changing a muscle.

'Sir John is the sort of person who would feel any gossip of that kind keenly,' remarked Miss Edwina's admirer.

It is to be hoped it will never reach his ears, sir,' said Simonds, with imperturbable gravity.

The family are not likely to see any of the Sunday papers, I