THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER. 453 



on his heel he walked slowly from the gallery, and descended the 

 staircase; and the closing of a door below apprized Willoughby 

 that he had shut himself in his study. 



CHAPTER II. 



It was about ten o'clock when Sir Robert's bell rang. A servant 

 entered the library. 



" Thomas, you may bring me up some coffee now ; what are the 

 gentlemen about below ?" 



"They are still in the parlour, Sir Robert, in conversation;" and 

 the servant retired, presently returning with the tea service. 



"You may fetch me up a bottle of wine in about two hours from 

 this time," said the baronet ; " it will be late before I retire to bed." 



The clock was striking the hour of midnight, when the servant 

 tapped at the library door. There was no answer. He repeated it 

 a second and a third time. There was a stir within as of the closing 

 of a door. " Come in." 



" I have brought you the wine, Sir Robert," said the servant. 



"jOh ! thank you. I had forgotten ; set it down here." 



"Are you not well, Sir?" enquired the servant, as having ap- 

 proached, he marked the ghastly paleness of his master. 



" Chilly, cold, Thomas," said the baronet. " I have let my fire 

 out ; where is Mr. Courtenay V 



" He has retired to his own apartment." 



"Mr. Willoughby?" 



" He is now going to his room, Sir." 



" That is well," said the baronet. " It is the room he occupied, 

 when he was here two years ago, is it not ?" 



" It is, Sir Robert." 



" Well. You may tell James that I shall not want him to-night ; 

 he may go to bed. Good night." 



"Why, what a stealthy, villain pace is this?" said "he, stopping 

 suddenly, as he walked in silence from the library, and proceeded 

 cautiously down a long passage, " it is a sacrifice to which I go, not 

 a murder ; but this is the door." He knocked loudly. " Mr. Wil- 

 loughby ! within there Mr. Willoughby !" There was no reply. 

 "And this man can sleep !" ejaculated the baronet: " well/Trovidence 

 tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, and the conscience to the sensi- 

 tive villain, I suppose," He opened the door quickly, and entered 

 the room ; and placing the candle upon a table approached the bed. 

 He drew aside the curtains. " Willoughby ! arise, man, awake I" 

 and he touched him on the shoulder as he spoke. 



The young man started from a deep sleep. "Who's there ?" he 

 cried, rising from the bed. 



" It is I," said the baronet, " Robert Aylmer ; I am come to talk 

 with you." 



" What do you mean, Sir Robert?" exclaimed Willoughby, " why 

 disturb me at the dead of night, what do you want?" 



" I will tell you," said the baronet calmly, " I have been thinking 

 of you the whole evening, and of our meeting this morning. I will 



M.M.No. 5. 2 K 



