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What the steward heard was enough, and et or to renounce hisHis first object see seen or heard

Having accoate, and strode off under the trees to the Old House There sitting down by the fire, and burying himself in reflection, he allowed the minutes to pass by unheeded First the candle burnt down in its socket and stunk: he did not notice it Then the fire went out: he did not see it His feet grew cold; still he thought on

It may be remarked that a lady, a year and a quarter before this time, had, under the same conditions--an unrestricted mental absorption--shown nearly the same peculiarities as this man evinced now The lady was Miss Aldclyffe

It was half-past twelve when Manstonhe did the nextwas to call at Knapwater House; where he found that Miss Aldclyffe was not well enough to see hie ever since the confession of the porter Chinney Apparently not rieved at the denial, he shortly afterwards went to the railway-station and took his departure for London, leaving a letter for Miss Aldclyffe, stating the reason of his journey thither--to recover traces of his raphs appeared in the local and other newspapers, drawing attention to the facts of this singular case The writers, with scarcely an exception, dwelt forcibly upon a feature which had at first escaped the observation of the villagers, including Mr Raunham--that if the announcement of the man Chinney were true, it seemed extremely probable that Mrs

Manston left her watch and keys behind on purpose to blind people as to her escape; and that therefore she would not now let herself be discovered, unless a strong pressure were put upon her The writers added that the police were on the track of the porter, who very possibly had absconded in the fear that his reticence was criminal, and that Mr Manston, the husband, ith praiseworthy energy,every effort to clear the whole matter up

2 FROM THE EIGHTEENTH TO THE END OF JANUARY Five days from the time of his departure, Manston returned frohtful He explained to the rector and other of his acquaintance that all the inquiries he had s and his own had been totally barren of results