does your lordship propose to return to us?"

"I am tired of public life, my dear baronet. My daughter, Lady Emily,
who, you know, has chiefly resided with her maiden aunt, hopes to
succeed in prevailing on her to accompany us to Glenshee Castle, to
spend the summer and autumn, and visit some of the beautiful scenery of
this unknown land of ours. Something, as to time, depends upon Dunroe's
convalescence. My stay in England, however, will be as short as I can
make it. I am getting too old for the exhausting din and bustle of
society; and what I want now, is quiet repose, time to reflect upon my
past life, and to prepare myself, as well as I can, for a new change. Of
course, we will be both qualified to resume the subject of this marriage
after my return, and, until then, farewell, my dear baronet. But mark
me--no force, no violence."

Sir Thomas, as he shook hands with him, laughed--"None will be
necessary, my lord, I assure you--I pledge you my honor for that."

The worthy baronet, on mounting his horse, paced him slowly out of the
grounds, as was his custom when in deep meditation.

"If I don't mistake," thought he, "I have a clew to this same mysterious
gentleman in the inn. He has seen and become acquainted with Lucy in
Paris, under sanction of her weak-minded and foolish mother. The girl
herself admitted that her engagement to him was with her consent.
Dunroe, already aware of his attentions to her, becomes jealous, and on
meeting him in London quarrels with him, that is to say, forces him, I
should think, into one;--not that the fellow seems at all to be a coward
either,--but why the devil did not the hot-headed young scoundrel take
steadier aim, and send the bullet through his heart or brain? Had he