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The other set of wheels sounded from the lane Stephen had just traversed On closer observation, he perceived that they werethe vicarage grounds A carriage then left the entrance gates of the house, and wheeling round cae, with a se, apparently a lady's The vehicle came to the junction of the four ways half-a-minute before the carrier reached the sa by the lane on the other side

Inside the carriage Stephen could just discern an elderly lady with a younger woman, who seeh, a s-place sixteen ain, and looking up saw another person leaving thee 'Ah, howthat way!' felt he parenthetically The gentleman was tall, and resembled Mr Swancourt in outline and attire He opened the vicarage gate and went in Mr Swancourt, then, it certainly was Instead of re Mr Swancourt hbour off on a journey He hbour to do such an unusual thing

The carrier's conveyance had pulled up, and Stephen now handed in his portmanteau and e?' he inquired indifferently of Lickpan the carrier

'That, sir, is Mrs Troyton, a widder wi' a mint o' money She's the owner of all that part of Endelstow that is not Lord Luxellian's Only been here a short time; she came into it by law The owner formerly was a terrible mysterious party--never lived here--hardly ever was seen here except in the ht say'

The horses were started again, and noise rendered further discourse a reat exertion Stephen crept inside under the tilt, and was soon lost in reverie

Three hours and a half of straining up hills and jogging down brought them to St Launce's, the market town and railway station nearest to Endelstow, and the place from which Stephen Smith had journeyed over the downs on the, to hi of the sa up-train, which Stephen entered Two or three hours' railway travel through vertical cuttings in reen, stretching over slopes and down delightful valleys, glens, and ravines, sparkling ater like ed a the town of Plymouth