and the servants of the family, who were well aware of them, began to look on him with a certain undefined terror as a man whose unaccountable movements were associated with something that was evil and supernatural. They felt occasionally that the power of his eye was dreadful; and as it began to be whispered about that it was by its evil influence he had brought Alice Goodwin to the very verge of the grave for the purpose of getting at the property, which was to revert to him in case she should die without issue, there was not one of them who, on meeting him, either in or about the house, would run the risk of looking him in the face. In fact, they experienced that kind of fear of him which a person might be supposed to feel in the case of a spirit; and this is not surprising when we consider the period in which they lived. Be this as it may, his mother got up the old carriage once more and set out on her journey to Cockle Hall--her head filled with many an iniquitous design, and her heart with fraud and deceit. On reaching Cockle Hall she was ushered to the withdrawing-room, where she found his lordship in the self-same costume which we have already described. Miss Eiddle was in her own room, so that she had the coast clear--which was precisely what she wanted. “Well, Mrs. Lindsay, I'm glad to see you. How do you do, madam? Is your son with you?” he added, shaking hands with her. “No, my lord.” “O! an embassadress, then?” “Something in that capacity, my lord.” “Then I must be on my sharps, for I am told you are a keen one. But tell me--do you sleep with one eye open, as I do?” “Indeed, my lord,” she replied, laughing, “I sleep as other people do, with both eyes shut.” “Well, then, what's your proposal?--and, mark me, I'm wide awake.” “By all accounts, my lord, you have seldom been otherwise. How could you have played your cards so well and so succassfully if you had not?” “Come, that's not bad--just what I expected, and I like to deal with clever people. Did you put yourself on the whetstone before you came here? I'll go bail you did.” “If I did not I would have little chance in dealing with your lordship,” replied Mrs, Lindsay. “Come, I like that, too;--well said, and nothing but the truth. In fact it will be diamond cut diamond between us--eh?” “Precisely, my lord. You will find me as sharp as your lordship, for the life of you.” “Come, confound me, I like that best of all--a touch of my own candor;--we're kindred spirits, Mrs. Lindsay.” “I think so, my lord. We should have been man and wife.” “Egad, if we had I shouldn't have played second fiddle, as I'm told poor Lindsay does; however, no matter about that--even a good second is not so bad. But now about the negotiations--come, give a specimen of your talents. Let us come to the point.” “Well, then, I am here, my lord, to propose, in the name of my son Woodward, for the hand of Miss Riddle, your niece.” “I see; no regard for the property she is to have, eh?”