The Disentanglers

e beginning, was the case. Members even of the more learned professions held aloof: indeed barristers and physicians never became eager clients. On the ot

er whose widowed mother had set her heart on mar

f ours to distract the affections of an elderly female agriculturist. The bonny labouring boy would punc

, what can we do? How stop the mésalliance? We have not, in our little regiment, one fair Hebrew boy to smile away her maiden blame among the Hebrew mothers of Maida Vale, and to cut out Timmins. And of course i

aburnums could hardly be estimated as one of the stately homes of England. Still, the lady was granted an interview. She was what the Scots call 'a buddy;' that is, she was large, round, attired in black, between t

my charge till she is twenty-six. I and her lawyers make her an allowance out of h

the lady is at pr

s twen

charge of her is not no

is made to me ou

on her marriage, if she m

usted Barbara. She was strange from a child. Fond of the men,'

s, the testator was anxious to

fed, but the sniff was aff

m impertinent curiosity, nor for exact figures. But, as a q

o. It runs int

calculations (which I, not without some fever of the brow, have personally verified)

a few minutes passed in arithmetical calculation. 'Am I

l All," a patent medicine. He

n shu

d be anything,' he thought, 'but i

, obviously with an indistinct recollection of th

the young lady much into society: has she had many opportunities of making a

fisher or two comes to the Perch, that's the inn at Walton-on-Dove, and they are mostly old gentlemen, pottering with

ung lady a

t unwomanly

as "strange from a child, very strange. Fond of the men." Happily for our sex

always be

ny cerebral disequili

ing that again?' as

ere?' Merton said, layin

dd stories about-nonsense. She is wearing with her dreams. She reads books on, I

,' said Merton; 'P

ism,' said Mrs. Nichol

eminent Anglo-French chemist; he was burned at Rome, one

Popery, sir, but it

l the queer

neral discon

ls,' said Merton;

ster then,' said Mrs

her choice, have you

for him: I neve

ss Monypenny make

cousins of my own, who should have known better. They stupidly took

ngaged on so short

ng out to the war, and that they were sister spirits. He had dreamed of meeting her, he said, and that was why he came to the ball, for he did not dance. He said he believ

ing for it, certainly,' said Merton. '

put it in the fire unopened. He had written his na

seems correct, even

m South Africa, where he volunteered as

ned that

his nonsense, asking her never to forget

!' said

sing her room, he said. In fact he knew how to get round the foolish

out what sort of char

y he had no business to speak of,

, as he seems to be a patriotic fellow, are

and indeed her motives for refusin

definitely engag

keeps looking in a glass ball, like the labourers' women, some of them; she's sunk as low as that; so superstitious; and sometimes she tells me that she sees what he is doing, and where he is; and now

n, with conviction. 'After all, thou

hat's all,' interrupted Mrs.

r, from what you tell me he seem

silly Jenny,' put

don't you take her into the world, and show her life? With her fortune and with

d? Not me, Mr. Graham,' said Mrs. Nicholson. 'The money that her uncle made by

ry method-to throw some young man of worth and education in

ery nose? Not much, Mr. Graham. Why wh

g so-detrimental to your interests, M

Mrs. Nicholso

othed to one of the most beautiful girls in England. They are deeply

ne of them,' sai

ecial attention to the mental delusions under which your ward is labouring, and has been successful in removing them in some cases. Bu

Mrs. Nicholson with much ac

ton bowe

er by giving her the full value of her allowance out of the estate,' thought Merton, adding

ctions from the young doctor was Jephson, the History coach, at that h

received a letter directed in an uneducated hand. 'Another of the agricultural classes,' he th

l never give my consent, this spells botheration for me. You can send down your young man that cures by teleopathy, a thing that has come up since my time. He can stay

bedient

Nicho

ll try to see Jephson. I don't like or trust him. I don't think he is the man for Miss Willoughby. So,

alled on Jephson. He found him anxious a

ish?' ask

the chance,'

but not unprepossessing young

e-at Walton-on-Dove? A pretty quiet place, two miles of water, local history perhap

son; 'I'll write to the lan

tter,' said Merton,

that kind of cash. But if the girl really is plain, "a toad," nothing may happen. On the other hand, Jephson is sure to hear about her position from local gossip-that she is rich, and so on. Perhaps she is not so very plain. They are sure to meet, or Mrs. Nicholson will bring them together in her tactful way

ry well. He had taken a brace and a half of trout, 'bordering on two pounds' ('one and a quarter,' thought Merton). 'And, what won't interest you

aid Merton to himself. 'Jephso

ting his arrival. She was the handsome Miss Willoughby, Jephson's betrothed, a learned young

. The usual greetings had scarcely passed, when t

unconventional, which you put to me at the dinne

Merton, 'but then it was an unconv

a spark of the devil in

o lay the method before you, of course only for your consideration, and under se

her, but these must be reserved for the present. She listened, was surprised, was

imself. 'What a very abject the fellow is! But, after all, I have disentangle

n greeted her, and gave orders that no other client was to be admitted. He was himself rather n

red her,' th

ere imprisoned in tight new gloves, while her bonnet spoke of regardlessne

not-you were quite the gentleman-on the best of terms. But now,

anything, Madam. Please understand that I took

'You did not send down that bl

as looking for country quarters. Your name never crossed my lips, nor a

owe you

ing a

dential,' said Mrs. Nichols

xtent of a farthing, but if you

nt?' said Mr

perhaps you can at least tell me w

lly don'

pleased, and that your anx

d the brave,' said Mrs. Nicholson, 'dese

e all that

ften happens. Well, I asked him to come over the fence and help her to get her line clear, which he did very civilly, and then he showed her how to fish, and then I asked him to tea and left them alone a bit, and when I came back they were talking about teleopathy, and her glass ball, and all that nonsense. An

nd shone full on the ball; and just as he, Mr. Jephson, that is, came into the gate, the glass ball began to act like a burning glass and her skirt began to smoke. Well, he waited a bit, I thin

the word 'Molochaust' int

to come by, a-crying and carrying

so they were engaged on

he would be true, she said, to her lover in cocky. But b

tion to his winning yo

that young man: I could

id Merton, 'must ha

t I deserved,' said Mrs. Nicholson, growing rather

new what the sympathetic argum

n asked, 'the lover has

id he, "your niece is a very interesting historical subject. I am deeply anxious, apart f

r lover in c

lover in coc

Ingles!

bury lately, and, after examining the scene of Queen Mary's captivity, I made a few inquiries. What I

only heard the girls mention him, and his going to the war. And then, after that, by Mr. Jephson's advice, I went and gave Barbara my mind. She should marry Mr. Jephson, who saved her life, or be the laughing stock of the country. I showed her up to herself,

ratulated on so sensible and v

he has effected a complete cure, and they will be as hap

ere can't be many fellows like Jephson,' he said. 'I wonder how much the si