"Now, Robert, don't get cross with an old friend," said Mrs. Thorold smiling; "and if my last recipe won't do, I offer you another, don't leave the boys so much alone, and then they won't get into these scrapes."

I am infinitely obliged," answered Norris; "but I fear that at present this last recipe will be as little use to me as the other: I must start off to London in a few days on important business."

"Well, Robert, for a man ostensibly of no business at all, replied Mrs. Thorold, "you do manage to get an unconscionable quantity of work on hand. What in the world is taking you to London ?"

"I can assure you," answered Robert rather stiffly, "that I do not immerse myself in business for the love of it. I have just been pursuing most important scientific investigations in the West of Scotland, which I had nearly brought to an end, when, to my unspeakable regret, I was obliged suddenly to return home."

"Really, Robert," said Mrs. Thorold, letting her work fall on her lap, and gazing at Norris with an air of surprise," I should have thought that by this time, and with all your travelling about, you knew every nook in Scotland.”

"My dear madam," answered Norris with a lofty air, "the investigations I have been lately engaged in are in no way connected with geology; they refer to a matter which has occupied the attention of scientific men for years past. I allude to the vitrified forts -many theories have been advanced, but none, as yet, which satisfactorily accounts for their vitrification."

"My dear Robert," exclaimed Mrs. Thorold, "I really would not put myself to so much expense and fatigue, when the results, even if successful, will be so trifling. What does it matter to you or I, or anybody else, how these forts became vitrified, and what the better off will the world be for the discovery? Never mind the vitrified forts; stay at home with the boys, and then they won't fill the house with tag-rag and bob-tail. I really cannot honestly say that I regret your being called away from your investigationsonly, to be sure, you tell me you must go to London; can you not put it off? These poor lads will turn out badly, I fear, if they are left too much to themselves; they are, indeed, terribly neglected. You must forgive my plain speaking; I presume on having been your friend from childhood upwards, and the friend of your dead parents. I do not think you realise the danger your children run of going astray; I wish I could open your eyes."

"I wish, my dear madam," replied Norris, who had heard in silent indignation Mrs. Thorold's slighting remarks upon vitrified forts, "that I could make you understand how painful and disagreeable it is to me to have to undertake this journey to London; but I

could as little do that as I could convey to your mind the importance of many scientific investigations which you would treat as puerilities. However, we will say no more on this point," added Norris, dismissing the vitrified forts with a wave of his hand. "You ask me why I go to London? law business, unfortunately, drags me there; so you will see this is no pleasure excursion. That Chancery affair of mine, about the right of common, will be decided this week; I had a letter from Okey to that effect a few days ago."

But you have a good solicitor in London," observed Mrs. Thorold. "Why should you go? Is there the slightest necessity for you to incur either the trouble or expense of a journey to London ?":

"I like to look after my own affairs," answered Norris; "no one will look to my interests as well as myself."

“Well, at any rate," remarked Teresa, who, though she had not joined in the conversation for the last few minutes, had not lost any of its purport," Mrs. Norris will be at home this time, so the boys will not be able to get up to any fresh mischief, and she is so kind-hearted and amiable, that I know Oliver and Donald would not willingly displease her. I am sure she has great influence, over them,

"Norris looked confused, and did not speak for a few moments when he did, it was with some hesitation.

"You see, we had not intended-that is to say, I had intended -to go to London alone; but upon maturer reflection we judged it advisable that I should not face the ordeal of a court unaccompanied by a single friend or adviser. For a long time I tried to combat her resolution; but Mrs. Norris, knowing the nervous prostrations to which I am subject at times, the occasional weakness of my bodily health, and the strain upon my mind from many causes, filial rebellion and ingratitude amongst the weightiest, determined, in short, though worn out by fatigue and in a delicate state herself, to accompany me to London."

"Well really, Robert, I think you must have taken leave of your senses," exclaimed Mrs. Thorold rather sharply. "As I said before, I cannot see the slightest necessity for you to go to London; and as for your wife going too, why it is the greatest piece of absurdity I ever heard of. You seem never at rest unless you are away from home. When you talk to me of the difficulty you have in meeting the great expenses of the boys' education, I might justly ask you, how you can afford to travel about so much? Pray don't complain again to me, if, on your return, you find some guests from the Candlemaker Row or Cowgate feasting at your expense, for I shall tell you it is all your own fault."

"Do not fear, Mrs. Thorold, that I shall trouble you with any complaints again," said Norris rising, and speaking with great bitterness and wrath. "I have to call to mind old ties and old associations, to prevent words rising to my lips which you would not wish to hear. I consider myself deeply wronged, misjudged, and all on the score of my graceless sons, for whom I have laboured and toiled, while they were hulking at home, instead of assisting their poor father in the hard struggles of life."

Here Norris abruptly took his departure, seeming much agitated. For a little while Mrs. Thorold was very angry; but towards evening she cooled down, and eventually accepted Teresa's offer of going to Georges Square on an embassy of peace, with a conciliatory message.

Teresa accordingly set off, and on her arrival was ushered into the drawing-room, which still bore traces of the previous evening's entertainment. None of the boys were visible, and Teresa conjectured that the servants had all been dismissed, as she saw only a couple of charwomen. In a few moments Mrs. Norris made her appearance, looking very jaded and pale, her long ringlets metamorphosed into straight wisps of hair, her dress only partially hooked behind, and sundry fissures in the gathers.

Mrs. Norris received Teresa a little coldly at first, but when she heard her message delivered, in the always sweet and persuasive tones of the speaker, she relaxed, and became herself again; that is to say, a kind, good-humoured woman.

"I was so sorry when I found that there was a misunderstanding between Robert and Mrs. Thorold. I esteem her very highly, but, at the same time, I think she is unjust towards my husband, and he was deeply hurt by some of her remarks. He came home in a state of nervous excitement that was most painful to witness. I was really quite alarmed. No one can understand how acutely sensitive bis feelings are. He was so prostrated that he was obliged to lie down; but I daresay you will be able to see him by and bye, and of course we shall all forget what passed this morning. He intended, when he came home, writing to you, as he did not anticipate this kind visit, and he had quite resolved never, as he said, to darken the doors of the house in Lyndoch Place again."

"What did he want to write to me for ?" asked Teresa, with a look of surprise.

"My dear Miss Ayleworth, I think I will tell you myself,” said Mrs. Norris. "Robert is very much incensed against your brother, but I daresay he will relent by and bye: my husband owns the deepest obligations to yourself, and I quite agree with him; but he is under no debt of gratitude to Mr. Ayleworth."

"In what way has Walter offended?" asked Teresa, with vague

suspicion on her mind, as she spoke, that her cousin had received a hint of the attachment between Walter and Flora, spoken of by Mark Unsworth.

"Of course, my dear, your brother was at the low, ribald, riotous assemblage, held here last night. We did not see him, but we surmise that he must have become aware of our arrival, and have slipped out. We hear," and Mrs. Norris laid a stress on the last word, "that he has been here every day, and often till a late hour, for the last few weeks; and therefore, we conjecture that he was here yesterday, and probably lent a hand in getting up the entertainment. Sailors are, as a rule, wild, unsteady young men. Now, with this impression on his mind, Robert said he could not possibly suffer Mr. Ayleworth to visit here again, and that he thought he would convey this dismissal through you as the least painful way of letting your brother know his wishes."

"Well, my cousin may banish all resentment towards Walter on that score," replied Teresa with a smile. "He was with the boys in the morning (a slight inaccuracy this of the speaker's, by the way, for she should have said with Flora); but when he came home in the afternoon there was a note awaiting him from a friend of his, a lieutenant in the Navy, who was then at Leith, where his ship was lying for a day or two, and Walter went off to him at once, so he could not possibly have been here last night."

"No, certainly not. Well, that will be quite a relief to Robert," observed Mrs. Norris; "for I know he wishes to think well of your brother. Do yon think, now, that Mr. Ayleworth had any idea of what was going on?"

"I should imagine not," replied Teresa, deviating, alas! from the strict line of truth, for she had an inward misgiving that her gay, laughter-loving brother might have been cognisant of the whole affair from the very beginning, and that had he not been summoned to Leith, he would have contributed his quota to the evening's amusement by his favourite diversion, dancing a hornpipe.

CHAPTER XLVI.

NORRIS versus ST. GREGORY'S HOSPITAL.

THE business in the Vice-Chancellor's Court had just terminated, and with an intense feeling of relief, Norris passed out from its dim, shadowy precincts, where he had spent several hours in the bright sunlight of a warm June afternoon. His step was light and elastic, and his whole bearing triumphant; one could see by his looks that he was a successful litigant.

"Tarry a moment, Bob! whither in such haste ?" exclaimed a

voice at his elbow, as he was making his way rapidly in the direc tion of Chancery Lane.

Why, Piers, I had no idea you were in town!" answered Norris, as he grasped his friend's hand warmly, and then the two walked on together, arm-in-arm.

Well, and I thought you were hunting up vitrified forts in the West of Scotland. Cantire was the last place you wrote to me from," replied Thorold. "But how on earth have you managed to get entangled in the meshes of the law, Bob?"

"You may be sure that only a matter of the gravest necessity,” answered Norris, "would have induced me to go to law. You know how I dread and detest the whole machinery; and what does the text say, 'If a man ask for your coat, give him your cloak also.'"'

The first I saw of the affair was in the Times this morning,' replied Thorold, "and directly I read the cause of Norris versus the Wardens of St. Gregory's Hospital would come on before the Vice-Chancellor at Lincoln's Inn this morning, off I rushed, borne hither on the wings of friendship. When I saw your woe-begone and dejected appearance in court, I rejoiced that I had come; for I anticipated, in the event of an unfavourable decision, having to bear you off in a fainting condition."

"I thank you for your good intentions," answered Norris, laughing.

"But what has it all been about?" asked Thorold. "I havebeen in Court all day, and am no wiser than I was when I first came in. I heard a confused jargon, in which your name predominated, coupled with common appendant' and 'common appurte nant' and 'cattle levant and couchant,' and beyond that I could distinguish nothing."

"I will make the matter clear to you in a few words," replied Norris: "the Lords of the Manor, in which my farm is situated are the Wardens of St. Gregory's Hospital for poor gentlemen. I, in common with other freeholders, have a right to pasture my cattle on the wastes of the Manor-a right, mark you, Thorold, which bas never before been disputed. But after the death of their old solicitor, last year, the Wardens appointed that fellow, Toby Sharpe, attorney-at-law, of Chester, to succeed him; and one of the first acts of this shark of the law was to try to pick a hole in the rights. of the freeholders of the Manor."

"Oh, if there was an attorney at the bottom of it, I can understand the whole affair," said Thorold.

"This fellow," continued Norris, warming into his subject, to the great amusement of his friend, "judging that the commons, being near Chester, must have increased in value, conceived a most