whom she was going to marry to whom she was about to be weak enough and fool enough to trust herself then he would interpose and be her brother once again a broken-hearted brother no doubt, but a brother efficacious to keep the wolf from the door of this poor woman and her children.  Then, as he thus created Captain Aylmer’s embryo family of unprovided orphans for after a while he killed the captain, making him to die some death that was very disgraceful, but not very distinct even to his own imagination as he thought of those coming pledges of a love which was to him so bitter, he stormed about the streets, performing antics of which no one would have believed him capable who had known him as the thriving Mr William Belton, of Plaistow Hall, among the fens of Norfolk.

But the character of a man is not to be judged from the pictures which he may draw or from the antics which he may play in his solitary hours.  Those who act generally with the most consummate wisdom in the affairs of the world, often meditate very silly doings before their wiser resolutions form themselves.  I beg, therefore, that Mr Belton may be regarded and criticized in accordance with his conduct on the following morning when his midnight rambles, which finally took him even beyond the New Road, had been followed by a few tranquil hours in his Bond Street bedroom for at last he did bring himself to return thither and put himself to bed after the usual fashion.  He put himself to bed in a spirit somewhat tranquillized by the exercise of the night, and at last wept himself to sleep like a baby.

But he was by no means like a baby when he took him early on the following morning to the Paddington Station, and booked himself manfully for Taunton.  He had had time to recognize the fact that he had no ground of quarrel with his cousin because she had preferred another man to him.  This had happened to him as he was recrossing the New Road about two o’clock, and was beginning to find that his legs were weary under him.  And, indeed, he had recognized one or two things before he had gone to sleep with his tears dripping on to his pillow.  In the first place, he had ill-treated Joe Green, and had made a fool of himself in his friend’s presence.  As Joe Green was a sensible, kind-hearted fellow, this did not much signify but not on that account did be omit to tell himself of his own fault.  Then he discovered that it would ill become him to break his word to Mr Amedroz and to his daughter, and to do so without a word of excuse, because Clara had exercised a right which was indisputably her own.  He had undertaken certain work at Belton which required his presence, and he would go down and do his work as though nothing had occurred to disturb him.  To remain away because of this misfortune would be to show the white feather.  It would be unmanly.  All this he recognized as the pictures he had painted faded away from their canvases.  As to Captain Aylmer himself, he hoped that he might never be called