Twinch. " One of The Girls, or both, shall come in the
morning, and see if they can do anything. Now, Mr. Sher-
rard, we will send one of the people up, and leave her."

The old woman, who had been dismissed when Mr. Twinch
arrived, was again sent for. She had been muttering and
crooning about the lower room, and soon obeyed the sum-
mons, as the lawyer and his companion left. The Ganger
sullenly lighted him to the door, and then returned to his
own room, lighted a pipe, and drawing near the chimney by
habit, surrounded himself with a cloud of smoke as he gave
way to his reflections.
" So," he thought, " the prize will net be quite so soon
captured — the game will not be so easily won as we expected.
She has got people to look after her more carefully than we
fpcjioned onj an4 ^^^ is engaged to j-oung Hammond — love*



34 TBB POTTLETOM LEOACTi

aim, too. Very well, we shall have to beat them all. Long
odds, to be sure; but I've fought against more, and con-
f lered them before this."

He pondered on until the last hall inch of the candle,
which he had stuck in a bottle in place of the clay stand left
■ip stairs, tumbled through inside, lighting up the green glass
with a ghostly flash for an instant, and then disappearing
altogether. Without undressing, he threw himself upon his
bed, and despite his thoughts, was soon in a heavy sleep.
