most conciliatory, but Maisie hated her with a blind unreasoning jealousy that made her tingle to the tips of her fingers, and was the more uncontrollable because she felt instinctively that she had to deal with a clever woman-not clever in an intellectual but in a more generally useful sense, and Maisie knew that her own strong point was not tact.

Everything had been turned topsy-turvy; money was no longer of any consequence. Mrs. Cookham Dene liked shopping and driving in the park, and half-past seven o'clock dinner and sparkling wines, and she dressed showily and played waltzes on the piano with more energy than strict attention to harmony, and she had very lively spirits and knew how to keep the servants in order, or at least to cow them for the time being, and when her dear papa,' as she called him, was not suffering from one of his rather frequent headaches which kept him a good deal to his room, she made such fun of the old darling, and so persistently held him up to the ridicule of her brother Tom, who happened to be staying in the house, and indeed seemed to have taken up his quarters there en permanence, that at last Maisie was driven to indignant remonstrance.

'You darling little pet,' said her mother-in-law, looking at her solemnly, 'you are awfully dutiful and we are awfully naughty, are we not, papa dear?' pressing her cheek affectionately against her old man's head, but perhaps you will kindly just hold your tongue and not speak till you are spoken to, or we shall have to order her off to bed, shall we not, papa dear?'

Brother Tom, who was a fine-looking young fellow, but with an unpleasant expression of face and rather uncouth habits, for which his sister frequently rebuked him, laughed hoarsely, and Mr. Dene, who looked tired and out of sorts and rather ashamed of himself, glanced at Maisie with a frown of dissatisfaction that sent her flying from the room.

Or rather she was in the act of flying when her charming little mother-in-law seized her by the wrist and drew her back.

6

You are not your own mistress here,' she said; sit down again, as your father desires, and do not stir till you have per

mission.'

Maisie burst into tears. Her papa looked very much irritated. Brother Tom began to whistle. The ex-shopgirl bestowed a kiss on her husband and tripped to the piano.

Plenty of bills soon began to come in, but Mr. Cookham Dene,

who had always thought his former wife rather wasteful in her household expenditure, paid them without much murmuring. His sweet Dolly had such winning little ways, and he knew,' as she said, 'that if she teased him a little bit now and then, she did love her dear old man so, and he liked her to look pretty, and he liked her to enjoy herself, didn't he?'

Poor Phil had rather a rough time of it. He was not an engaging boy, and the spirit of mischief was to him as the breath of his nostrils. He hated brother Tom very heartily, and always had plenty of ingenious surprises in store for him, so that when upstairs Maisie was grieved more than once by a sound as of carpets being dusted, to an accompaniment of sobs and shrieks and savage growls.

And it was the more maddening as papa had always been opposed to corporal punishment, or rather her mother had been, but things were altered now. When she saw brother Tom come out of the room, cane in hand, oh! she hated him and told him so, but he only laughed and said it would do the little beggar good! As for Phil, he rubbed himself and made a hideous grimace behind the other's back. But brother Tom detected him by means of the looking-glass, aimed a parting but playful flick at him, saying, 'That's right, my lad, keep your pecker up, you shall have a double dose next time.'

6

Dolly insisted on Maisie taking some music lessons. You can't play a bit, my dear chit,' she said, only a lot of dreary stuff like five-finger exercises. You shall go through a course with "Madame

who taught me.'

Now Maisie considered that her mamma-in-law played about as badly as was humanly possible, and she pinned her own faith to Mozart, but Madame,' who was rather loud both in appearance and manner, and who enjoyed a glass of champagne, which now flowed liked water at Chesapeake Villa, indeed much more frequently, agreed that all that old-fashioned sort of stuff had gone out with the Flood; and Maisie, who was now at the sensitive and self-complacent age of 'sweet seventeen,' was snubbed, and set down to nice little showy pieces,' as her new mamma said, 'which would count for something of an evening.'

Dolly professed to be very fond of 'her Maisie.' She called her' chitty,' and insisted on kissing her, and said she was a quaint old-fashioned darling. She insisted on taking her out for drives and to the theatre, whither brother Tom often accompanied the

two, provided farcical comedy or burlesque were the order of the day; Mr. Cookham Dene, by the bye, generally staying at home; and she insisted on improving her toilet, but Maisie did not consider the rather sweeping changes made an improvement at all. Indeed she remonstrated with her father on the subject, but he frowned and spoke of 'perpetual worry, and ingratitude, and rebellious children,' so she retired in discomfiture to incur the raillery of her mother-in-law. Oh, you good demure little puss,' she said, 'we are not going to let you dress like an old frump; you are really quite a nice-looking girl, or would be if you were a little more cheerful, and I mean that you shall have a proper chance in life.'

Mrs. Dene was fond of going to races. So was brother Tomvery, but he was not always fortunate in his betting transactions, though he prided himself on his astuteness. They generally went by road, and always took a luncheon basket and champagne with them, and invariably met many friends like themselves of a free and unrestrained spirit; but if the fates were adverse to Tom's pecuniary success he was apt to become quarrelsome, especially if he had taken quite enough refreshment, and once savagely shook his fist in his sister's face. But she did not seem much disconcerted, though Maisie shuddered and turned faint.

Dolly maintained that she took a great interest in Maisie. She spoke as if she had a deep sense of a mother's responsibilities, and as if her daughter-in-law were a charming little simpleton ; which Maisie bitterly resented-knowing her own capacity, and that her new relative was not in the least intellectual.

'You will make a delightful little bride, chit,' she said one day, 'and we will find you a husband. You are quite of a marriageable age, and girls of your type do not improve by being kept on hand. You would do capitally for brother Tom.'

And ever after this, in her playful mock-serious way, she spoke as if it were quite a settled thing. Brother Tom took his cue and became very objectionable. Then, too, Dolly would insist on taking such an interest in Maisie's wardrobe, and Dolly's taste was in the direction of rather a pronounced style.

Another person of some consequence soon began to appear on the scene-brother Tom's lawyer. He was not a favourable specimen of his tribe, at least to judge by appearances. He was tall and ill-made, though indeed moral obliquity is not a necessary concomitant of an ungainly figure, but he had pale blue shifty

eyes with red rims, and a complexion suggestive of late hours and irregular habits, Dundreary whiskers of a sandy hue, and a trick of alternately fawning and bullying.

He was closeted with Mr. Cookham Dene a good deal.

It was about this time that, in the opinion of those who knew him best, my poor friend's mental powers began to show signs of decay.

Brother Tom try; indeed he And if brother

Brother Tom had another friend-an outside broker, in whose tips he had tolerably profound faith, not imagining for a moment that anyone would dare to try to take him in. doubted if anybody would succeed even if they did was pretty certain failure would be the result. Tom had faith in himself, Dolly, who really thought her brother a very fine fellow, believed in him implicitly. If he had not been successful hitherto, it was only because of some 'unlucky conthrathong,' as Captain Costigan would say, or because he had not been able to sit long enough at the table. With proper resources, worlds would be his to conquer.

Dolly, like a good many ladies, thought even four per cent. an inadequate rate of interest. But times were bad for investors, and if you cannot increase your rate of interest the next best thing is to double or quadruple your principal. This brother Tom, with the help of his friend, the outside broker, offered to do. He saw his way clearly-so did the outside broker, who disappeared one evening with his pockets full and leaving those of his client uncommonly empty.

However, Tom tried again—this time on the turf, but the blind goddess was still deaf to his wooing. After this he sampled inferior brands of whisky for a week or two with great assiduity, and then he began to see snakes.

Mr. Cookham Dene in the meanwhile had developed a religious turn, and was becoming rather hazy in his ideas. He began to study unfulfilled prophecy; and Dolly losing heart, a reign of domestic muddle ensued.

Her husband made a will, and it was the conviction of those best qualified to form an opinion that he was breaking up fast, that he could not last much longer.

However, as his mental powers decayed, he seemed about to take a new lease of life. He became wonderfully and fearfully chirpy, and this filled Tom with wrath.

He would lounge in now and then and eye his victim gloomily.

'How much longer do you think the old boy will hold out?' he inquired of his sister one day, and she only shrugged her pretty shoulders. Hulloa, daddy!' he shouted, addressing himself to the poor old gentleman, who sat in a meek but dignified attitude by the fire, when will the Jews be grafted in again, eh? Pretty soon,' he added to himself with a bitter laugh, 'if I can't lay hands on the "ready."'

Poor papa was fond of stroking Dolly's hair as she knelt beside him; he did not say much, and what he did say was not always quite intelligible, but he looked at Maisie as if she had done him an injury.

6

Phil had been sent to a different sort of school. Terms, 201. a year, inclusive. Diet unlimited. Cow kept,' and so on. But he was a big fellow for his age, and ran away. He was brought back and caned, but ran away again, and after that nobody troubled much about him.

One day a remarkably seedy individual took up his position in the kitchen. He was civil enough, but smoked a pipe, and always would keep his hat on, and smelt rather. The servants, after haranguing their mistress in scornful terms, disappeared into the gathering twilight. Maisie was overcome with bitter indignation and shame. But Dolly made light of it all. Brother Tom conversed with the seedy individual affably. He said it was the 'restoration of the Jews.'

The next morning, when Dolly knocked at her husband's door, she had to knock twice. Indeed, she need not have knocked at all. He was so fast asleep that there was no reason why Maisie should be kept away from him any longer; for they had always been rather afraid of her influence.

The funeral was not a very grand affair. Brother Tom was remarkably bloodshot about the eyes, let us hope from grief, but his utterance was thick, and he seemed scarcely secure of his footing.

There was not much left out of the wreck.

Maisie strapped to, and got a berth as a nursery governess, but in a week or two broke down utterly. They sent her to the hospital. She emerged a pitiable object, but there was nobody in particular to pity her. She wrote to Mrs. Brown, but the letter came back through the dead-letter office. They had given up their house, and their address was unknown.

Phil could not do much to help. He had enlisted, and a