THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER. 463 



" He is in the next room, Sir Robert," answered the priest, " and 

 must not be disturbed ; he is making preparations to depart the 

 country. You will see him no more." 



" Must not be disturbed," cried the baronet, " but I must see him, 

 Mr. Courtenay, your authority is of somewhat recent growth. 



"My dear Sir Robert," cried the priest hurriedly, " be calm ; let 

 me implore you to be calrh. You will never again be insulted by 

 the sight of Mr. Willoughby. It is his intention to leave England 

 for many years, for ever." 



*' He did not tell me that," said the baronet, " I should wish to 

 take my leave of him before he goes. He is in that room, is he 

 not?" and the baronet pointed to the door of an inner apartment. 



"In the name of God," said the priest earnestly, "I conjure you 

 not to see him again ; and if the circumstance of my having accom- 

 panied him from Euston Hall has caused you to suspect him wrong- 

 fully, I will return with you. Heaven is my witness, I meant well ; 

 I would not have left you but for good reasons ; I have done it for 

 the best, I have done it for " 



" A purpose, doubtless," interrupted the baronet, " best known to 

 yourself. You have done it for the best. The future may be better 

 than the past, and the hope of advantage is stronger than the sense 

 of gratitude. But what have I to do with your reasons," he con- 

 tinued bitterly, " it is with him that I wish to speak ; you and I, Mr. 

 Courtenay, are from henceforth strangers." So saying, the baronet 

 advanced to the door, the priest following him. 



" I have come once more to see you, Mr. Willoughby," said the 

 baronet entering;, and the young man started up from a desk at which 

 he had been writing, " I am born, you see, to trouble yon." 



'* You are, Sir," said Willoughby proudly, " but I half expected 

 you, and am prepared. Your conduct to me has been such that I 

 can hold no further communication with you. You know not, Sir 

 Robert, how I have restrained my naturally hasty temper out of 

 regard for your feelings, and in consideration of your age. Do not 

 interrupt me ; hear me for one moment. This I can promise you, 

 that you shall never see my face again ; I am about to quit England, 

 and for ever. No further satisfaction shall you have from me. I 

 owe to myself and to you to preserve eternal silence respecting the 

 past. Do I not, Mr. Courtenay ?" 



" You do," said Courtenay solemnly. 



"And do you think," cried Sir Robert, in a quiet sarcastic 

 tone, " and do you think, Sir, that I am to be put off by these grave 

 face-makings, and by the mumbling of yonder priest? Let me tell 

 you, Sir, that I will have your secret, as you have called it, or an 

 equivalent." 



" For heaven's sake," interrupted Courtenay, " be not so violent, 

 restrain yourself, Sir Robert." 



" Stand back, Sir," said the baronet promptly, " lest I strike you to 

 the earth. Look you, Willoughby, you owe something, you say, to 

 yourself and to me. What you owe to yourself, you may keep to 

 yourself; what you owe me, you shall pay. Now, Sir, you left a 

 deed with me yesterday morning, the liberality demands return. I 



