Into the room came her ancient nurse,—
"My lady Maud, hast thou heard the curse,
Thou lookest so scared and pale?"

"I heard, methought, a moaning sigh
In that corner of the room,
As if a gust of wind swept by
And hid in the lurking gloom;
And as I listen'd it came again,
So mournful, and weary, and full of pain,
Like a thrill of woeful doom!"

"My mistress dear, 'tis the Sighing Shade
Of the wilful Lady Grace;
She slighted her love with cruel words,
As one of less noble race.
He went away to the Flemish war,
She loved him, but he return'd no more,
He fell by a Flemish mace!

"'Tis said, and I think the legend true,
That he met her face to face,
And spake a stern reproach to her
After that deadly chace.
He came in the quiet twilight gloom,
Where she sat alone in this very room,
And frown'd on Lady Grace!

"She faded fast, like a blighted bud,
Unwed, unloved, unsought,
Though she was rich and very fair,
For, Lady Maud, love is not bought.
'Tis said, that in this room she died,
That hither comes her Sighing Shade,
A haunting, warning thought!

"You cannot see her, Lady Maud,
But if she came to you,
It was to warn you not to scorn
A lover poor and true.
I tell you this, I am your nurse,
Lest fall this day the lover's curse,
My Lady Maud, on you."

THE DEAD SECRET.
CHAPTER THE TENTH. A COUNCIL OF THREE.

ON the morning after the departure of
Mrs. Jazeph, the news that she had been
sent away from the Tiger's Head by Mr.
Frankland's directions, reached the doctor's
residence from the inn, just as he was sitting
down to breakfast. Finding that the report
of the nurse's dismissal was not accompanied
by any satisfactory explanation of the cause
of it, Mr. Orridge refused to believe that her
attendance on Mrs. Frankland had really
ceased. However, although he declined to
credit the news, he was so far disturbed by it
that he finished his breakfast in a hurry, and
went to pay his morning visit at the Tiger's
Head, nearly two hours before the time at
which he usually attended on his patient.

On his way to the inn, he was met and
stopped by the one waiter attached to the
establishment. "I was just bringing you a
message from Mr. Frankland, sir," said the
man. " He wants to see you as soon as
possible."

"Is it true that Mrs. Frankland's nurse
was sent away last night, by Mr. Frankland's
order? " asked Mr. Orridge.

"Quite true, sir," answered the waiter.

The doctor coloured and looked seriously
discomposed. One of the most precious things
we have about us — especially if we happen
to belong to the medical profession — is our
dignity. It struck Mr. Orridge that he ought
to have been consulted before a nurse of his
recommending was dismissed from her situation
at a moment's notice. Was Mr. Frankland
presuming upon his position as a
gentleman of fortune ? It was impossible to
decide that question as yet; but the mere
act of considering it, exercised an undermining
influence on the conservative foundations
of Mr. Orridge's principles. The power of
wealth may do much with impunity, but it is
not privileged to offer any practical
contradictions to a man's good opinion of himself.
Never had the doctor thought more
disrespectfully of rank and riches; never had he
been conscious of reflecting on republican
principles with such absolute impartiality, as
when he now followed the waiter in sullen
silence to Mr. Frankland's room.

"Who is that? " asked Leonard, when he
heard the door open.

"Mr. Orridge, sir," said the waiter.

"Good morning," said Mr. Orridge, with
self-asserting abruptness and familiarity.

Mr. Frankland was sitting in an
arm-chair, with his legs crossed. Mr. Orridge
carefully selected another arm-chair, and
crossed his legs on the model of Mr. Frankland's,
the moment he sat down. Mr. Frankland's
hands were in the pockets of his
dressing-gown. Mr. Orridge had no pockets,
except in his coat-tails, which he could not
conveniently get at; but he put his thumbs
into the arm-holes of his waistcoat, and
asserted himself against the easy insolence of
wealth, in that way. It made no difference to
him — so curiously narrow is the range of a
man's perceptions when he is insisting on
his own importance — that Mr. Frankland
was blind, and consequently incapable of
being impressed by the independence of his
bearing. Mr. Orridge's own dignity was
vindicated in Mr. Orridge's own presence;
and that was enough.

"I am glad you have come so early,
doctor," said Mr. Frankland. " A very
unpleasant thing happened here last night. I
was obliged to send the new nurse away at a
moment's notice."

"Were you, indeed! " said Mr. Orridge,
defensively matching Mr. Frankland's
composure, by an assumption of the completest
indifference. "Aha! were you, indeed?"

"If there had been time to send and
consult you, of course I should have been only
too glad to have done so," continued
Leonard. " But it was impossible to hesitate.
We were all alarmed by a loud ringing of my
wife's bell; I was taken up to her room, and
found her in a condition of the most violent
agitation and alarm. She told me she had
been dreadfully frightened by the new nurse;
declared her conviction that the woman
was not in her right senses; and entreated