tion, presently began to howl; and softening by degrees, took the apologetic Grinder to her arms, who embraced her with a face of unutterable woe, and, like a victim as he was, resumed his former seat, close by the side of his venerable friend; whom he suffered, not without much constrained sweetness of countenance, combating very expressive physiognomical revelations of an opposite character, to draw his arm through hers, and keep it there.

"And how's Master, deary dear?" said Mrs. Brown, when, sitting in this amicable posture, they had pledged each other.

"Hush! If you'd be so good, Misses Brown, as to speak a little lower," Rob implored. "Why, he's pretty well, thankee, I suppose."

"You're not out of place, Robby?" said Mrs. Brown, in a wheedling tone.

Why, I'm not exactly out of place, nor in," faltered Rob. “I—I'm still in pay, Misses Brown."

"And nothing to do, Rob?"

"Nothing particular to do just now, Misses Brown, but tokeep my eyes open," said the Grinder, rolling them in a forlorn

way.

"Master abroad, Rob?"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Misses Brown, couldn't you gossip with a cove about anything else!" cried the Grinder, in a burst of despair.

The impetuous Mrs. Brown rising directly, the tortured Grinder detained her, stammering, "Ye-yes, Misses Brown, I believe he's abroad. What's she staring at?" he added, in allusion to the daughter, whose eyes were fixed upon the face that now again looked out behind him.

"Don't mind her, lad," said the old woman, holding him closer to prevent his turning round. "It's her way-her way. Tell me, Rob. Did you ever see the lady, deary?"

"Oh, Misses Brown, what lady?" cried the Grinder in a tone of piteous supplication.

"What lady?" she retorted. "The lady; Mrs. Dombey." "Yes, I believe I see her once," replied Rob.

"The night she went away, Robby, eh?" said the old woman in his ear, and taking note of every change in his face. "Aha! I know it was that night."

“Well, if you know it was that night, you know, Mrs. Brown," replied Rob, "it's no use putting pinchers into a cove to make him say so."

"Where did they go that night, Rob? Straight away? How did they go? Where did you see her? Did she laugh? Did she cry? Tell me all about it," cried the old hag, holding him closer yet, patting the hand that was drawn through his arm against her other hand, and searching every line in his face with her bleared eyes. "Come! Begin! I want to be told all about it. What, Rob, boy! You and me can keep a secret together, We've done so before now. Where did they go first,

eh ? Rob?"

The wretched Grinder made a gasp and a pause. "Are you dumb ?" said the old woman, angrily.

"Lord, Misses Brown, no! You expect a cove to be a flash of lightning. I wish I was the electric fluency," muttered the bewildered Grinder. "I'd have a shock at somebody that would settle their business."

"What do you say?" asked the old woman, with a grin.

"I'm wishing my love to you, Misses Brown," returned the false Rob, seeking consolation in the glass. "Where did they go to first, was it! Him and her do you mean?"

"Ah!" said the old woman, eagerly.

"Them two."

together, I mean," an

The old woman looked at him, as though she had a strong impulse upon her to make another clutch at his head and throat, but was restrained by a certain dogged mystery in his face. "That was the art of it," said the reluctant Grinder ; "that's the way nobody saw 'em go, or has been able to say how they did go. They went different ways, I tell you, Misses Brown." "Aye, aye, aye! To meet at an appointed place," chuckled the old woman, after a moment's silent and keen scrutiny of his face.

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Why, if they weren't a going to meet somewhere, I suppose they might as well have stayed at home, mightn't they, Misses Brown?" returned the unwilling Grinder.

Well, Rob? Well?" said the old woman, drawing his arm

yet tighter through her own, as if, in her eagerness, she were afraid of his slipping away.

"What, haven't we talked enough yet, Misses Brown?" returned the Grinder, who, between his sense of injury, his sense of liquor, and his sense of being on the rack, had become so lachrymose, that at almost every answer he scooped his coat-cuff into one or other of his eyes, and uttered an unavailing whine of remonstrance. "Did she laugh that night, was it? Didn't you ask if she laughed, Misses Brown ?"

"Or cried?" added the old woman, nodding assent.

“Neither," said the Grinder. "She kept as steady when she and me-oh, I see you will have out of me, Misses Brown! But take your solemn oath now, that you'll never tell anybody."

This Mrs. Brown very readily did being naturally Jesuitical; and having no other intention in the matter than that her concealed visitor should hear for himself.

"She kept as steady, then, when she and me went down to Southampton," said the Grinder, " as a image. In the morning she was just the same, Misses Brown. And when she went away in the packet before daylight, by herself-me pretending to be her servant, and seeing her safe aboard-she was just the same. Now, are you contented, Mrs. Brown."

"No, Rob. Not yet," answered the old woman, decisively. "Oh, here's a woman for you!" cried the unfortunate Rob, in an outburst of feeble lamentation over his own helplessness. "What did you wish to know next, Misses Brown ?”

"What became of Master? Where did he go?" she inquired, still holding him tight, and looking close into his face with her sharp eyes.

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"Upon my soul, I don't know, Misses Brown," answered Rob. Upon my soul I don't know what he did, nor where he went, nor anything about him. I only know what he said to me as a caution to hold my tongue, when we parted; and I tell you this, Mrs. Brown, as a friend, that sooner than ever repeat a word of what we're saying now, you had better take and shoot yourself, or shut yourself up in this house, and set it a-fire, for there's nothing he wouldn't do, to be revenged upon you. You don't know him half as well as I do, Misses Brown. You're never safe from him, I tell you."