With  this  laek-lustre  gaze,  and  in  the  tone  of  thought-
ful soliloquy,  he  said,  "  Has  Sir  Charles  Bassett  no  eyes  ?
and  are  there  women  so  furtive,  so  secret,  or  so  bashful,
they  do  not  tell  their  husbands  ?  "

Lady  Bassett  turned,  with  a  scared  look,  to  Mary
Wells,  and  that  young  woman  showed  her  usual  readi-
ness. She  actually  came  to  Mr.  Eolfe,  and  half-whis-
pered to  him,  "If  you  please,  sir,  gentlemen  are  blind,
and  my  lady  she  is  very  bashful ;  but  Sir  Charles  knows
it  now ;  he  have  known  it  a  good  while ;  and  it  was  a
great  comfort  to  him:  he  was  getting  better,  sir,  when
the  villains  took  him :  ever  so  much  better."

This  solution  silenced  Mr.  Rolfe,  though  it  did  not
quite  satisfy  him.  He  fastened  on  Mary  Wells's  last
statement.  "  Now  tell  me ;  between  the  day  when  those
two  doctors  got  into  his  apartment,  and  the  day  of  his
capture,  how  long  ?  "

"  About  a  fortnight."

"  And  in  that  particular  fortnight,  was  there  a  marked
improvement  ?  "

"  La,  yes,  sir ;  was  there  not,  my  lady  ?  "

"Indeed,  there  was,  sir.    He  was  beginning  to  take


228  A  TERKIBLE  TEMPTATION.
walks  .with  me  in  the  garden,  and  rides  in  an  open  car-
riage. He  was  getting  better  every  day;  and  oh,  sir,
that  is  what  breaks  my  heart ;  I  was  curing  my  darling
so  fast,  and  now  they  will  do  all  they  can  to  destroy  him.
