"Why, Edward, dear! who would have thought of seeing you! This is good of you; what a pleasant surprise! I often said, you might come over for a day from Woodchester. What's the matter, Maggie, you look so fagged? She's losing all her beauty, is not she, Edward? Where's breakfast? I thought I should find all ready. What's the matter? Why don't you speak?" said she, growing anxious at their silence. Maggie left the explanation to Edward. "Mother," said he, "I've been rather a naughty boy, and got into some trouble; but Maggie is going to help me out of it, like a good sister." "What is it?" said Mrs. Browne, looking bewildered and uneasy. "Oh--I took a little liberty with our friend Mr. Buxton's name; and wrote it down to a receipt--that was all." Mrs. Browne's face showed that the light came but slowly into her mind. "But that's forgery--is not it?" asked she at length, in terror. "People call it so," said Edward; "I call it borrowing from an old friend, who was always willing to lend." "Does he know?--is he angry?" asked Mrs. Browne. "Yes, he knows; and he blusters a deal. He was working himself up grandly at first. Maggie! I was getting rarely frightened, I can tell you." "Has he been here?" said Mrs. Browne, in bewildered fright. "Oh, yes! he and Maggie have been having a long talk, while I was hid in the china-closet. I would not go over that half-hour again for any money. However, he and Maggie came to terms, at last." "No, Edward, we did not!" said Maggie, in a low quivering voice. "Very nearly. She's to give up her engagement, and then he will let me off." "Do you mean that Maggie is to give up her engagement to Mr. Frank Buxton?" asked his mother. "Yes. It would never have come to anything, one might see that. Old Buxton would have held out against it till doomsday. And, sooner or later, Frank would have grown weary. If Maggie had had any spirit, she might have worked him up to marry her before now; and then I should have been spared even this fright, for they would never have set the police after Mrs. Frank Buxton's brother." "Why, dearest, Edward, the police are not after you, are they?" said Mrs. Browne, for the first time alive to the urgency of the case. "I believe they are though," said Edward. "But after what Mr. Buxton promised this morning, it does not signify." "He did not promise anything," said Maggie. Edward turned sharply to her, and looked at her. Then he went and took hold of her wrists with no gentle grasp, and spoke to her through his set teeth. "What do you mean, Maggie?--what do you mean?" (giving her a little shake.) "Do you mean that you'll stick to your lover through thick and thin, and leave your brother to be transported? Speak, can't you?" She looked up at him, and tried to speak, but no words came out of her dry throat. At last she made a strong effort. "You must give me time to think. I will do what is right, by God's help."