'the fact is, jobson,' said mr. brimble, 'there's a skeleton cupboard in every man's house, and mine hasn't escaped that ugly piece of furniture.'

the squire was at his dinner-table, which the ladies had not long left, and at which the stranger had that day been a guest.

'i married to please myself, and not my father, and he took an effectual way of showing me that he had that view of it, by disinheriting me. it did not happen to be of any consequence, as far as the money went, for mrs. brimble had more than we wanted. i was obliged to part with my name, and take hers, before i could lay hold of her property; but as i have no sons, that is a trifle. when a man gets to grey hairs, he knows what a name is worth; though i believe the girls would rather be poor de la marks than rich brimbles—at least they fancy so now; but money is a vastly comfortable thing, jobson, and glory without it is very hungry work.'

'you had another brother?' said the stranger, moving aside the wine which the squire pushed towards him.

'i had,' said the squire sorrowfully; 'did you ever hear of him?'

'yes; i knew one who was intimate with him abroad; he was strongly attached to you.'

'attached!' said the squire, with an agitated voice; 'we had but one heart. he ought now to be at parker's dew; instead of that—there,' said the squire, emptying his glass; 'i won't say any more, and i give myself great credit. come,' he continued cheerfully, 'who was it that knew eustace?'

'a stranger to you,' was the reply; 'but, mr. brimble, i knew your brother myself.'

'hah!' said the squire starting; 'knew him, and you never told me.'

'no,' said the stranger; 'the truth is, i loved him, and you reminded me of him so much, when first i saw you, that i should have found it difficult to speak of him.'

'they always thought us alike,' said the squire gently, leaning his head down to hide the tears that filled his eyes. 'well'—stretching out his hand—'we have now indeed a bond of union. tell me all you remember about him.'

'all i remember of him?' said the stranger, with a smile, grasping the proffered hand; 'i cannot do that to-night; it is now'—

a violent ringing and the sudden entrance of a servant put a stop to the conversation, 'dr. cruden, sir, has just come from parker's dew, and wishes to see you alone. i have shown him into your room.'

'i am alone,' said the squire; 'tell him i've only a particular friend with me, and the wine's on the table. he's one of the best little fellows in the world, the doctor is,' he said, as the door closed; 'but he's continually croaking at me about a reconciliation with that fellow that turned poor eustace out of his place to get into it. every time he starves himself into a low fever, he comes here telling me he is going to die. i won't see him alone.'

the servant re-entered, 'dr. cruden, sir, cannot see you in the presence of anybody; his compliments, and he will not detain you.' and, having received no answer, the man respectfully closed the door.

'don't you go to the ladies yet, jobson,' said the squire, as he reluctantly followed the servant. 'i shall soon dispose of the doctor's confab, and send him into the drawing-room for some music, and then you and i can finish our wine and our talk together.'

'my dear sir,' said dr. cruden, as soon as he saw him, 'i've something most important to communicate.'

'i'm very sorry for it; people should never talk of important things at this time of night—it's the way to get nightmare, and you ought to know that. come now, put it off till to-morrow; they are all in fine order for music in the drawing-room; and there's your sister, that you haven't seen for this fortnight, and your bed is ready always. come now,' laying his hand upon his shoulder, with a heartiness that shook the doctor's frame, but not his purpose.

'my good friend,' he said solemnly, 'i do assure you what i have to say cannot be put off; your brother is ill, seriously ill.'

'so he has been once a fortnight, regularly, for the last three years, according to your account.'

'i beg you to be serious,' said the doctor, shaking his head; 'i question if he will recover this attack.'

'oh, you are a capital hand at questioning; but what do you want me to do?'

'i want you'—said the doctor slowly; 'but you will promise me to be calm?' he said, laying his hand on the squire's arm, for he could not reach his shoulder.

'now, don't be impressive,' said the squire, 'but out with it. i'll forgive him, send him anything, do anything for him but go there.'

'the very thing i wish you to do,' said the doctor.

'pshaw, nonsense! what! turn out at this time of night, to see a man that you kill regularly with every full moon—not i. now, doctor, you know i've no illwill towards him, old screw as he is—and that is not saying the worst of him. and as to poor little marjory, i would do for her as for my own child; but i haven't forgotten how you served me before. i said then that while he lived i'd never darken the doors of parker's dew.'

'my dear squire,' said the doctor, 'i can assure you he was entirely innocent of that; i believe bloodworth was at the bottom of it.'

'i wish he were at the bottom of the sea.'

'we can't spare him just yet, to go so far,' said the doctor drily; 'but now let me tell you, we have made a little progress into an important discovery. all sir valary's strange conduct, i think, may be accounted for. there is a mystery which we are beginning to unravel, and i hope with your help'—

'come and have some wine,' said the squire. 'i unravel a mystery! cut it up, that's my advice.'

'dear, dear,' said the doctor, much vexed, 'you will spoil everything by your impetuosity. i tell you the truth; i think sir valary will die unless his mind is relieved. bloodworth must be discharged from the stewardship, and we have no means of getting rid of him.'

'shoot him!' said the squire angrily.

'shoot him, and send him to the bottom of the sea! that would be a severe dismissal.'

'no more than he deserves,' muttered the squire.

'let us keep to common sense,' said the doctor. 'i feel sure that if you would come to see him, sir valary would hold out to you the right hand of brotherly fellowship. i do assure you he is a poor, shattered creature; and if you would but befriend that poor girl now, by helping him to get rid of bloodworth, you would be thankful for having done it all the days of your life. come now,' he continued, seeing that the squire was relenting, 'i have scarcely been at home for these three days; i have come in my own chaise now, thinking to save time, to take you back at once. every hour is of consequence,' he said quickly, in answer to the squire's unpromising look and shrug.

'come and have a glass of wine, and we'll talk about it, and i'll introduce you to jobson; he was an intimate friend of poor eustace. we were just talking about him when you came.'

the doctor made a faint protestation that he wanted neither wine nor mr. jobson; but when once mr. brimble had entered upon action it was not a little that could stop him; so, with a sigh of regret, he followed the squire to the dining-room. what occurred there shall appear in the next chapter.