The Volume Of The Sacred Law.

poor father are the ashes in the gallery grate and the empty phial found in his waistcoat-pocket . " That was a blow to both the doctor and Lord Crowdley . The train of thought which a clever man like Mr . Ford coukl manufacture out of the scanty facts before him would never enter the brain of either of them . Had not the house been full of visitors at

the time of her visit , they might have made some inquiry of themselves what brought the woman there at such an hour on a night when the most robust man buckles up his coat-collar and trots along the road to keep his blood in circulation . But the lawyer had seen all these things , and valued them at their proper weight .

Ladies do not generally travel at a late hour of the night , and repeat a visit , unless something of importance demands it . The length of the visit also puzzled him , and the woman's exit from the house . Had Lord Culverhouse let her out of the front door—which was the only one left unlocked , according to Francis—he would

instinctively have bolted it after she had gone , or certainly not have left the hand-lamp in the vestibule to burn itself out . He would not mention his reasoning to the two men unless it be to impress the necessity of his views upon them ; but after sternly refusing to take any other course than the one he had proposed under a threat to sever himself from the family affairs , Mr . Ford gained his point , and Doctor Gould left for home .

Never had the Master of Culverhouse Court witnessed such a Christmas Day

as this . The Ladies Caroline and Alice had not left their rooms since their

brother had told them the awful news , but were seeking to console each other

as best they could . It was now night , and silently the domestics had

sought their own chambers on tiptoe , fearing to

disturb by even a footfall the melancholy stillness that filled the great house with the hand of death . The two gentlemen in the library had continued their conversation long after Doctor Gould had left , and , before they quitted the room , the lawyer had quite convinced Lord Crowdley of the necessity of his plan of action . A

room for Mr . Ford had been prepared , as it was quite impossible for him to leave the family in its present condition . It was very late when the two men went upstairs , each carrying his lamp in curious silence . As they ascended the wide oaken staircase that bore a world ' s history in every tread , the flickering

glare of the lights shone up into the void above them , and only dimly reached the ceilings overhead . Once only Lord Crowdley looked behind as they neared the room in which the body lay , and , as if by mutual consent , he turned the key in the lock and entered , with the lawyer following close behind . There , upon the

heavilycurtained bed , with a large lighted candle on either side , was all that was left of Earl Culverhouse—dead , by his own hand ! It is hard for a son as dutiful and as affectionate as Lord Crowdley had been to bear his grief with even outward indifference . The command he had possessed over himself in the early morning was

merely the command of will ; but now , when the terrible excitement of the day was ended , the truth seemed to come to him , as the Christmas bells had come across the Park but a few hours ago , and

IHE VALLEY OE CROWDLEY .

no longer conqueror over the dictates of the human heart , he fell on his knees at the bedside and buried his face in his hands . His anguish was sacred , even from the eyes of Mr . Ford , who discreetly stepped out into the corridor , and left him pouring out his grief as strong men do but seldom in their lives . The lawyer found his room without much difficulty . He was

not a man to intrude himself upon the affairs of others , but he had been more than family lawyer to the man who lay dead , and the few moments he had had for thought had imposed upon him the duty of considering the welfare of the house of Culverhouse . He could not sleep , he thought , until he had studied the mysterious

connection of the late Earl with the woman who had visited him the previous night . That the connection did exist he felt as sure as if his client had confided the information to him ; but what the connection was he could not at present form the remotest idea . The fire burning in the stove did not aid him much . He sat in front of

it for at least an hour absorbed in all the details of the case as far as he knew them . There were faces in that fire this Christmas night , but he did not recognise them . Slowly they flickered and reddened , and fell away into dirty , grey ashes , without conveying any clue or motive ; and when he rose—puzzled as no other case had ever puzzled him before—he started to find Lord Crowdley had silently entered the room .

" I must tell you something , Ford , before I go to sleep , and you must help me to

do that which is just . " He spoke so slowly and so hesitatingly as if he were ashamed

of what he had to say . " I have delayed telling even my poor father , Ford , and

it is now better as it is , and I never dreamed it would come so soon , when

everyone must know . I am married — don ' t

speak to me yet—1 am married , and was two years ago , unknown to any living man . Oh ! if my father had not died , I should have had time to have disclosed it to you all ; but , Ford , this suddenness will make my secrecy seem like a crime . My wife is as dear to me as ever any woman could have been . I

met her two years ago in Devonshire . She is a lady by all that elevates a woman in the eyes of the world , and she does not know me but as Richard Rawlinson . Tell me , Ford , what I am to do ! You must go to her at once , with me , and tell her who I am . You must—great heavens , Ford , don ' t look at me like that ! For her

sake , help me out of this terrible trouble that has fallen upon us . " The lawyer walked across to the window and pushed the lattice open , letting in a flood of air that almost extinguished the lamp ; but it cooled his face , burning with this new revelation . The bells of Crowdley Church were chiming two , and the sound came up from

the valley over which a full moon was casting a silver light . He stood looking out into the frozen night as one in a dream , who saw in every tree standing out above the moonlit horizon like a shrouded being of some other world , another obstacle to be removed from the history of Culverhouse . Married 1

" Richard , my boy , " said the old man , turning suddenly upon his companion , and clasping the hand that was held for him , " I am glad you have told me this ; but you must let me have time to