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Lady Scroope acknowledged entirely the truth of these last words Such an alliance would be most ruinous! But what could she do? Were she to write to Fred and tell hi to the winds Lady Mary's stupid injunctions respecting secrecy, as she would not have scrupled to do could she have thus obtained her object,--ht it not be quite possible that she would precipitate the calaerly to avoid? Neither had she nor had her husband any power over the youngThe Earl could not disinherit hile acre beyond his reach Let hiht he must be Earl Scroope of Scroope, and the woman so married must be the Countess of Scroope There was already a Lady Neville about the world whose existence was a torture to the man chose also to rade the family, no effort on their part could prevent him But if, as seeot to coht be that he still had left soht work No doubt there was the Neville obstinacy about hie the sanctity of his faree the duty which he owed to it

The ereat that she feared to act alone She told everything to her husband, shewing hireat that it made him ill "It will be better for me," he said, "to turn my face to the wall and die before I know it" He took to his bed, and they of his household did think that he would die He hardly spoke except to his wife, and when alone with her did not cease to moan over the destruction which had come upon the house "If it could only have been the other brother," said Lady Scroope

"There can be no change," said the Earl "He must do as it lists him with the fortune and the na there was a worse bulletin than heretofore given by the doctor, and Lady Scroope at once sent off the letter which was to recall the nephew to his uncle's bedside The letter, as we have seen, was successful, and Fred, who caused himself to be carried over from Dorchester to Scroope as fast as post-horses could be allop, almost expected to be told on his arrival that his uncle had departed to his rest In the hall he encountered Mrs Bunce the housekeeper "We think my lord is a little better," said Mrs Bunce almost in a whisper "My lord took a little broth in the middle of the day, and we believe he has slept since" Then he passed on and found his aunt in the s-room His uncle had rallied a little, she told him She was very affectionate in herWhen he was told that his uncle would postpone his visit till the next an to think that he had been fussy in travelling so quickly