money which you pride yourself on having
secured. You must have been strangely
forgetful when you talked to me, as you did
just now, of having 'raised yourself to the
position you always longed for,' and of
having 'skill to scheme and courage to
carry out' what you desire. You forgot,
surely, that in those words you reminded
me that you longed for your present position
while you were my promised wife; and
that you were bringing your skill and your
courage to work to obtain it, while I was
striving, and hoping, and slaving for you."

"We had better put an end to this
interview," said Marian, attempting to rise.
"Ah, Walter, spare me!"

"Spare you!" he cried in unaltered
tones. "Did you spare me while all this
was going on? Did you spare me when—–"
he opened a drawer at his side and took
out a folded paper, "when you wrote me
this cruel letter, blasting my hopes and
driving me to despair, and almost to
madness? Spare you! Whom have you spared?
Did you spare those girls, the nieces of
the kindly old man whom you married,
or, because they were in your way, did not
have them turned out of his house, their
natural home? Did you spare the old
man himself, when you saw him fretting
against the step which you had compelled
him to take? Whom have you spared,
whom have you not over-ridden, in your
reckless career of avarice and ambition?"

She sat cowed and trembling for a
moment, then raised her head and looked at
him with flashing eyes.

"I am much obliged to you Mr. Joyce,"
she said in a very hard voice, "I am
much obliged to you for permitting me
to be present at a private rehearsal of one
of your speeches. It was very good, and
does you great credit. You have decidedly
improved since I saw you on the platform
at Brocksopp. Your style is perhaps a
little turgid, a little bombastic, but that
is doubtless in accordance with the taste
of those of whose sentiments you are the
chosen and the popular exponent. I must
ask you to see me to the cab at the door.
I am unaccustomed to London, and have
no footman with me. Thanks!" And
she walked out of the door which he had
opened for her, with a volcano raging in her
breast, but with the most perfect outward
composure.

See the curtain now about to drop on
this little drama—comedy of manners,
rather—where nothing and no one has been
in extremes; where the virtuous people
have not been wholly virtuous; and where
the wickedest have had far less carmine
and tinsel than the Author has on former
occasions found a necessity to use. There
is no need to "dress" the characters with
military precision in a straight line, for
there is no "tag" to be spoken, no set
speech to be delivered, and, moreover, the
characters are all dispersed.

Gertrude and her husband are in their
seaside home, happy in each other and
their children. Walter and his wife are
very happy, too, in their quiet way. He
has not made any wonderful position for
himself, as yet; but he is doing well and
is highly thought of by his party. Dr.
Osborne has retired from practice, but most
of the Helmingham and Brocksopp folk are
going on much in their usual way.

And Marian Creswell? The woman
with the peaked face and the scanty hair
turning grey, who is seldom at her own
house, but appears suddenly at Brighton,
Bath, Cheltenham, or Torquay, and
disappears as suddenly, is Marian Creswell.
The quarry of impostors and sycophants,
she has not one friend in whom to confide,
one creature to care for her. She is alone
with her wealth, and it is merely a burden
to her, but has not the power of affording
her the smallest gratification.

THE END OF "WRECKED IN PORT."

Now Ready, price 5s. 6d., bound in green cloth,
THE FIRST VOLUME
OF THE NEW SERIES of
ALL THE YEAR ROUND.
To be had of all Booksellers.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FINAL READINGS.
MESSRS. CHAPPELL AND CO. have great pleasure
in announcing that MR. CHARLES DICKENS, having some
time since become perfectly restored to health, will
resume and conclude his interrupted series of
FAREWELL READINGS at St. James's Hall, London,
early in the New Year.
The Readings will be TWELVE in NUMBER, and none
will take place out of London.
In redemption of MR. DICKENS'S pledge to those
ladies and gentlemen of the theatrical profession who
addressed him on the subject, there will be TWO MORNING
READINGS, one on Friday, January 14, and one on
Friday, January 21, 1870. The EVENING READINGS
will take place on Tuesdays, January 11, 18, 25;
February 1, 8, 15, 22; March 1, 8, and 15. The Prices and
all other arrangements will be as before. The announced
number of Readings will on no account be exceeded.
All communications to be addressed to Messrs.
CHAPPELL and Co., 50, New Bond-street, W.