Year: 1869

ages ago road and river in
many place wind in and out between
huse precipices Of rock that impend
grimly on either hand.


Every little country town in England
has its great man, TO whom it looks up
in reverence. and whom it is more or less
dependent. and who sways its destinies
in a greater or lesser degree; and Nor
manford is no exception to the rule
The great man to whom it touches its
cap respectfully, not to say obsequious-
ly, is Sir Philip Spencelaugh Of Belair
a parsonage Of great wealth and
blameless life, who can trace back his
pedigree almost to the food. Although
only baronet, he is quite rs impor-
tant parsonage in Monkshrc as my
Lord Clopford himself. whose title
dates back to the reign Of the Second
Charles, and whose castle. some dozen
miles from here. is the great show-place
Of the county. The greater portion of
the property in the neighbourhood of
the town belongs either to the owner Of
Bclair, or to his niece. who is said to be
even richer than he is. and who is young
charming. and unwedded: but Of more
hereafter.


Before proceeding TO give you an
account of my reception at Belair. and
the events which followed it, must go
back TO the date Of my arrival at Nor
manford. and deal first with certain oc-
curences, trihing in themselves. per-
haps. but Of singular interest for me,
as throwing an unexpected ray Of light
on the great mystery of my life.
have already stated that my first two
nights in Normanford were spent at its
principle hotel. a great rambling place.
relic, | supposed, of the old coaching
days. many Of its rooms being now de-
nuded Of furniture, and entirely unused
It i widely known under the sign of
the Hand and Drgger(part Of the armor-
ial cognizance Of family at Belair) and il
kept by widow OF the name Of Winch.
a tall. angular. hard-featurcd woman,
with slaty eyes, and most detcrmin-
ed-looking mouth. She is not, how
ever. too far advanced in life 10 have
lost All hopes Of matrimony. the in
tended who came in. and To whom
was introduced. in the course of my first
evening. being chemist Of the name
Of Brackenbridge. who keeps 4 shop in
the town. lie IS much younger than
the widow--not over thirty. imagine
and Is a stoutly built man, with huge
sandy whlskers. and face that would
BE- handsome ii il bore fewer traces Of
premature dissipation, and were less
cynically defiant in expression. What
his object is in seeking the hand Of the
landlady Of the Hand and Dagger. it is
not, think. difficult to opine but the
widows eyes are evidently blind to all
to fraternise with me, but beyond the
barcs civilties, would have nothing
10 do with the fellow &; he is one Of those
people 10 whom take an antipathy at
first sight-it may be prejudice on my
part, but | can't help it--and | soon
wandered out to smoke solitary pipe,


was just finishing breakfast next
morning. which had been laid for Inc
in the landlady's own little snuggery,
when heard avoice call loudly outside I;
Jerry jerry" Merely these two words +:
ridiculous words you will probably call
them. but cannot tell you how strang-
Is was moved at hearing them. Yes,
they thrilled me through and through.
and nv memory seemed 10 90 back
10 some Ear distant time when
heard those very words repeated, and
that bv womans voice. | sat for a
moment or two like one petriled.-
Happily, | was alone there was no one
10 observe how strangely | WAS affect
ed. Where and when had heard
those words before. | asked myself
the question again and again, but with
out being able 10 arrive AZ any satisfac-
tory conclusion. You know something
OF the mystery that surrounds the his
tory of my early years, and how any
thing that seems to touch, however re-
motely, upon that time has for me
an indescribable facination; and |
could only conclude; that to some vague
recollection Of that period which still
fingered family in my memory. was due
the sense Of unfamiliar familiarity, if |
may use such a term, with which the
repetition Of those words affected me.


But who was Jerry; got up from
the table. and lighted my pipe, and
wandered out towards the back prem
ises of the house on voyage Of dis
covery. How progressed, ! will tell
YOU tomorrow for the present am
tired-so, good night. and pleasant
dreams.


CHAPTER yIII-THE LETTER CONTINUED.


walked through the long tagged
passage leading to the back Of the house
without encountering any one, and was
Just about to enter the yard, when glanc-
ing through one of the side-windows. |
saw sight which brought me to a stand.
Sitting astride a wooden bench, placed
full in the warmth Of the morning sun.
was one of the strangest figures have
seen for a long time-a youth OF eight
cen or twenty, with features that were
almost feminine in the delicacy of their
outline, but freckled and burnt by the
heats of summer; and with long tan
gled elf-locks, in colour a pale yellow,
falling low over his shoulders. On the
groltnd near him was an old felt hat,
gray and napless, in shape like sugar
loaf; and on the other side Of him,
steaming bowl Of oatmeal porridge,
waiting till it should be cool enough to
be eaten But what took my attention
most was the singular way in which he
was occupied. He was playing one of
those long tin whistles, the like of which