“By the powers of love, you are welcome to do so; I am glad to hear it;” his cheek flushing anger and contempt, as he rose from his seat. “You will be sorry for this, ere long. I was against making you the offer, because we know that Miss Arden’s mother, the Duchess of Coulancourt, is now in Paris, restored to her estates, and living under the protection of the Directory—” The Baronet started, and evidently changed colour; but Captain O’Loughlin continued quite unconcerned. “Therefore, though there may be a little delay in communicating with Madame Coulancourt, and some caution, as the Directory are stringent respecting communication with England, we shall be able to obtain all the particulars of her marriage, and the birth of her two children. By-the-bye, it has been whispered that young Julian Arden, supposed to have perished at the siege of Lyons, escaped; or at all events there is no proof of his death. So now, having fulfilled the wishes of Miss Arden, and relieved her feelings of regret at proceeding against you in this case, without first amicably trying to settle it, I shall wish you good morning;” and with a cold bow to the stupefied Miss Jane, whose thin nose became purple, whilst her cheeks grew proportionately paler, Captain O’Loughlin walked out of the room, with a light and easy step, and as he descended the stairs, the confounded and bewildered Baronet caught the sound of his voice humming the air of “The girl I left behind me.” Captain O’Loughlin, passing out from the house, mounted his horse, that a groom held, satisfied in his mind that he had left the honourable Baronet quite sufficient to employ his thoughts. “Confound the fellow, I always disliked him,” he muttered, as he rode down the avenue; “every one gives him a worse character than his father.” Captain O’Loughlin had undertaken this visit to Sir Howard Etherton at Mabel’s earnest request. Most important intelligence had reached Madame Volney from Paris relative to her own affairs. Her letters came through Hamburg. The correspondent mentioned, as a piece of news, that Madame Coulancourt, formerly Duchesse de Coulancourt, was living in Paris, and had had her estates restored to her, but that she was under strict surveillance. There was no other remark in the letter; but this was quite sufficient to fill Mabel’s heart with rapturous joy. Her beloved mother was living, and well; this knowledge seemed to her the greatest boon Providence could bestow upon her. Mr. Stanmore was extremely anxious, when he heard the intelligence, that some mode of communication might be contrived with Madame de Coulancourt, so that Mabel’s birth could be clearly established, as this would be absolutely necessary to substantiate her claims to her uncle’s legacy. Mr. Stanmore, however, was made aware by Madame Volney that any attempt to correspond with Mabel’s mother would subject her to the utmost rigour of the French Government.