For days after the foregoing scene, Brookfield was unconscious of what had befallen it.

Wilfrid was trying his yacht, the ladies were preparing for the great pleasure-gathering on Besworth lawn, and shaping astute designs to exclude the presence of Mrs.Chump, for which they partly condemned themselves; but, as they said, "Only hear her!" The excitable woman was swelling from conjecture to certainty on a continuous public cry of, "'Pon my hon'r!--d'ye think little Belloni's gone and marrud Pole ?" Emilia's supposed flight had deeply grieved the ladies, when alarm and suspicion had subsided.

Fear of some wretched male baseness on the part of their brother was happily diverted by a letter, wherein he desired them to come to him speedily.

They attributed her conduct to dread of Mr.Pericles.That fervid devotee of Euterpe received the tidings with an obnoxious outburst, which made them seriously ask themselves (individually and in secret) whether he was not a moneyed brute, and nothing more.

Nor could they satisfactorily answer the question.