walked out of the house, swearing never again to enter it while his
mother lived. He has kept his word. Mrs. Egerton never crossed the
threshold after that night, and refused to see anybody except her
servants and her doctor. She lived this lonely kind of life for
nearly three years, and then died of some slow wasting disease, for
which the doctor could find no name.'

'And where did Mr. Egerton go after leaving her that night?'

'He slept at a little inn at Cumber, and went back to London next
morning. He left England soon after that, and has lived abroad ever
since.'

'And you think him a very bad man?'

'I consider his conduct to his mother a sufficient evidence of
that.'

'He may have believed himself deeply wronged.'

'He must have known that she had acted in his interests when she
prevented his committing the folly of a low marriage. She was his
mother, and had been a most devoted and indulgent mother.'

'And in the end contrived to break his heart--to say nothing of the
girl who loved him, who was of course a piece of common clay, not
worth consideration.'

'I did not think you had so much romance, Augusta,' said Mr.
Darrell, laughing; 'I suppose it is natural for a woman to take the