'Edmund is not in his room; his bed has not been slept in,' said Lady Beresford, coming hastily upstairs next morning immediately after she had gone down. Sir Robert had not yet left his dressingroom. She was pale and full of alarm. His door was open; there is no trace of him. I have sent out over all the park. He must have left the house last night. And Fred tells me the strangest story. What is it, Robert?' Sir Robert was very much disturbed himself, but he would make no certain reply.

I daresay he will be found wandering about somewhere. He has got some nonsense in his head.' Then he hurried down to the Lime-tree Walk, and out to the park, looking under the bushes and trees. If he had found Edmund there lying white and stark, Sir Robert would not have been surprised. They searched for him all the morning, but found no trace anywhere. Later in the day, Sir Robert suddenly bethought himself of another possibility. He hurried up to the old gallery, calling his eldest son to go with him. And there, indeed, they found Edmund-lying on the floor. But not dead, nor raving; pale enough, pale as a ghost, but asleep; his candle long ago burnt out to the socket, and the soft little face he had loved, placidly watching over him from the picture, as unmoved, though not so sweet, as the vision he had seen.

It cannot be said that Edmund Coventry was well enough to leave Daintrey that day, nor for several days. But he went away as soon as it was possible, going off from the great door, and by the drive, not approaching the Lime-tree Walk. He had no brain-fever, nor any other kind of fever. Various changes were perceptible, the Beresfords thought, in his life; but other people were unconscious of them. He had always been a gentle soul, friendly, and charitable, and true. More than a year after, when he met his former guardian and family in town, the old intercourse was renewed, and that came to pass which Lady Beresford had always thought would be so very suitable. He married Maud, and made her a very good husband. But he would never go to Daintrey again. And though there have been a great many versions of the story scattered abroad, and the Beresfords, once so silent on the subject, have become in their hearts a little proud of it-though it is supposed against their will that it should be known-no one else, so far as we have ever heard, has been again accosted by the gentle little lady who was earthbound. Perhaps her time of willing punishment is over, and she is earthbound

no more.

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FRASER'S

MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY 1880.

MR.

MARY ANERLEY: A YORKSHIRE TALE.

CHAPTER XXVI.

MEN OF SOLID TIMBER.

R. MORDACKS was one of those vivacious men, who have strong faith in their good luck, and yet attribute to their merits whatever turns out well. In the present matter he had done as yet nothing at all ingenious, or even to be called sagacious. The discovery of 'Monument Joe,' or 'Peg-leg Joe,' as he was called at Flamborough, was not the result of any skill whatever, either his own or the factor's, but a piece of as pure luck as could be. For all that, however, Mr. Mordacks intended to have the whole credit, as his sole and righteous due.

• Whenever I am at all down-hearted, samples of my skill turn up,' he said to himself as soon as Joe was gone; and happy results come home, on purpose to rebuke my diffidence. Would any other man have got so far as I have got, by simple, straightforward, yet truly skilful action, without a suspicion being started? Old Jellicorse lies on his bed of roses, snoring folios of long words without a dream of the gathering cloud. Those insolent ladies are revelling in the land from which they have ousted their only brother; they are granting leases not worth a straw; they are riding the high horse; they are bringing up that cub (who set the big dog at me) in every wanton luxury. But wait a bit, wait a bit, my ladies; as sure as I live I shall have you.

In the first place, it is clear that my conclusion was correct concerning that poor "Golconda ;" and why not also in the other issue? The Indiaman was scuttled-I had never thought of that, but only of a wreck. It comes to the same thing; only she went down more quietly; and that explains a lot of things. She was bound for Leith with the boy to be delivered into the hands of his Scotch relatives. She was spoken last off Yarmouth Roads, all well and under easy sail. Very good so far. I have solved her fate, which for twenty

years has been a mystery. We shall have all particulars in proper time by steering on one side of the law, which always huddles up everything. A keen eye must be kept upon that scoundrel; but he must never dream that he is watched at all; he has committed a capital offence. But as yet there is nothing but his own raving to convict him of felony. The truth must be got at, by gentle means. I must not claim the 500l. as yet; but I am sure of getting it. And I have excellent hopes of the 5,000l.'

Geoffrey Mordacks never took three nights to sleep upon his thoughts (as the lawyer of Middleton loved to do), but rather was apt to overdrive his purport with the goad of hasty action. But now he was quite resolved to be most careful; for the high hand would never do in such a ticklish matter; and the fewer the hands introduced at all into it, the better the chance of coming out clear and clean. The general factor had never done anything which, in his opinion, was not thoroughly upright; and now, with his reputation made, and his conscience stiffened to the shape of it, even a large sum of money must be clean, and cleanly got at, to make it pay for handling.

For he was a

This made him counsel with himself just now. superior man upon the whole, and particular always in feeling sure that the right word in anything would be upon his side. Not that he cared a groat for anybody's gossip; only that he kept a lofty tenour of good opinion. And sailors who made other sailors tipsy, and went rolling about on the floor all together, whether with natural legs or artificial, would do no credit to his stairs of office, on a fine market-day in the morning. On the other hand, while memory held sway, no instance could be cited of two jolly sailors coming to see the wonders of this venerable town, and failing to be wholly intoxicated with them, before the Minster bell struck one.

This was to be avoided, or rather forestalled; as a thing inevitable should be. Even in York City, teeming as it is with most delightful queerities, the approach of two sailors with three wooden legs might be anticipated at a distant offing; so abundant are boys, there, and everywhere. Therefore it was well provided, on the part of Master Mordacks, that Kitty, or Koity, the maid of all work, a damsel of muscular power and hard wit, should hold tryst with these mariners in the time of early bucket, and appoint a little meeting with her master by-and-by. This she did cleverly, and they were not put out; because they were to dine at his expense at a snug little chop-house in Parliament Street, and there to remain, until he came to pay the score.

All this happened to the utmost of desires; and before they had time to get thick-witted, Mordacks stood before them. His sharp eyes took in sailor Bob, before the poor fellow looked twice at him; and the general factor saw that he might be trusted not to think much for himself. This was quite as Mr. Mordacks hoped; he wanted a man who could hold his tongue, and do what he was told to do.

so forth, the principal came to the point by saying, 'Now both of you must start to-morrow morning; such clever fellows cannot be spared to go to sleep. You shall come and see York again, with free billet and lashings of money in your pockets, as soon as you have carried out your sailing orders. To-night you may jollify; but after that you are under strict discipline for a month at least. What do you say to that, my men?'

Watchman Joe looked rather glum; he had hoped for a fortnight of stumping about, with a tail of admiring boys after him, and of hailing every public-house, the cut of whose jib was inviting; however he put his knife into his mouth, with a bit of fat, saved for a soft adieu to dinner, and nodded for his son to launch true wisdom into the vasty deep of words.

Now Bob, the son of Joe, had striven to keep himself up to the paternal mark. He cited his father, as the miracle of the age, when he was a long way off; and when he was nigh at hand, he showed his sense of duty, nearly always, by letting him get tipsy first. Still, they were very sober fellows in the main, and most respectable, when they had no money.

'Sir,' began Bob, after jerking up his chin, as a sailor always does when he begins to think (perhaps for hereditary counsel with the sky); my father and I have been hauling of it over, to do whatever is laid down by duty, without going any way again' ourselves. And this is the sense we be come to, that we should like to have something handsome down, to lay by again' chances; also a dokkyment in black and white, to bear us harmless of the law, and enter the prize-money.'

What a fine councillor a' would have made!' old Joe exclaimed, with ecstasy. He hath been round the world three times-excuseth of him, for only one leg left.'

My friend, how you condemn yourself! You have not been round the world at all, and yet you have no leg at all;' so spake Mr. Mordacks, wishing to confuse ideas; for the speech of Bob misliked him.

'The corners of the body is the Lord's good-will,' old Joe answered, with his feelings hurt; he calleth home a piece to let the rest bide on, and giveth longer time to it-so saith King David.'

It may be so; but I forget the passage. Now, what has your son Bob to say?'

Bob was a sailor of the fine old British type, still to be found even nowadays, and fit to survive for ever. Broad and resolute of aspect, set with prejudice as stiff as his own pig-tail, truthful when let alone, yet joyful in a lie if anybody doubted him, peaceable in little things, through plenty of fight in great ones, gentle with women and children, and generous with mankind in general, expecting to be cheated, yet not duly resigned at being so, and subject to unaccountable extremes of laziness and diligence. His simple mind was now confused by the general factor's appeal to him to pronounce his opinion; when he had just now pronounced it, after great exertion.

'Sir,' he said, 'I leave such things to father's opinion; he hath been ashore some years; and I almost forget how the land lays.'

'Seafaring Robert, you are well advised. A man may go round the world till he has no limbs left, yet never overtake his father. So the matter is left to my decision. Very good; you shall have no reason to repent it. To-night you have liberty to splice the mainbrace, or whatever your expression is for getting jolly drunk; in the morning you will be sobriety itself, sad and wise and aching. But hear my proposal, before you take a gloomy view of things, such as to-morrow's shades may bring. You have been of service to me, and I have paid you with great generosity; but what I have done, including dinner, is dust in the balance to what I shall do, provided only that you act with judgment, discipline, and self-denial, never being tipsy more than once a week, which is fair naval average, and doing it then only with one another. Hard it may be; but it must be so. Now, before I go any further, let me ask whether you, Joseph, as a watchman under Government, have lost your position, by having left it for two months upon a private spree?'

Lor, no, your honour! Sure you must know more than that. I gived a old 'ooman eleven-pence a week, and a pot of beer a Sunday, to carry out the dooties of the Government.'

"You farmed out your appointment at a lower figure. My opinion of your powers and discretion is enhanced; you will return to your post with redoubled ardour, and vigour renewed by recreation; you will be twice the man you were, and certainly ought to get double pay. I have interest; I may be enabled to double your salary-if you go on well.'

This made both of them look exceeding downcast, and chew the bitter quid of disappointment. They had laid their heads together over glass number one, and resolved upon asking for a guinea every week; over glass number two, they had made up their minds upon getting two guineas weekly; and glass number three had convinced them that they must be poor fools to accept less than three. Also they felt, that the guineas they had spent in drinking their way up to a great discovery, should without hesitation be made good, ere ever they had another pint of health. In this catastrophe of large ideas, the father gazed sadly at the son, and the son reproachfully reflected the paternal gaze. How little availed it to have come up here, wearily going on upon yellow waters, in a barge where the fleas could man the helm, without aid of the stouter insect, and where a fresh run sailor was in more demand than salmon; and even without that (which had largely enhanced the inestimable benefit of having wooden legs), this pair of tars had got into a state of mind to return the whole way upon horseback. No spurs could they wear, and no stirrups could they want, and to get up would be difficult; but what is the use of living, except to conquer difficulties? They rejoiced all the more in the four legs of a horse, by reason of the paucity of their own, which approves a liberal mind. But now, where was the horse