at the end of that time he returned, and said with a joyful voice--

"I have settled all, Mr. Will. The parson of Welcombe will serve my
church for two Sundays, and I am away for London town, to speak to Mr.
Frank."

"To London? How wilt get there?"

"On Shanks his mare," said Jack, pointing to his bandy legs. "But I
expect I can get a lift on board of a coaster so far as Bristol, and
it's no way on to signify, I hear."

Cary tried in vain to dissuade him; and then forced on him a small loan,
with which away went Jack, and Cary heard no more of him for three
weeks.

At last he walked into Clovelly Court again just before supper-time,
thin and leg-weary, and sat himself down among the serving-men till Will
appeared.

Will took him up above the salt, and made much of him (which indeed the
honest fellow much needed), and after supper asked him in private how he
had sped.

"I have learnt a lesson, Mr. William. I've learnt that there is one on
earth loves her better than I, if she had but had the wit to have taken
him."

"But what says he of going to seek her?"

"He says what I say, Go! and he says what you say, Wait."

"Go? Impossible! How can that agree with his letter?"

"That's no concern of mine. Of course, being nearer heaven than I am,
he sees clearer what he should say and do than I can see for him. Oh,
Mr. Will, that's not a man, he's an angel of God; but he's dying, Mr.
Will."

"Dying?"

"Yes, faith, of love for her. I can see it in his eyes, and hear it in
his voice; but I am of tougher hide and stiffer clay, and so you see I
can't die even if I tried. But I'll obey my betters, and wait."

And so Jack went home to his parish that very evening, weary as he was,
in spite of all entreaties to pass the night at Clovelly. But he had
left behind him thoughts in Cary's mind, which gave their owner no rest
by day or night, till the touch of a seeming accident made them all
start suddenly into shape, as a touch of the freezing water covers it in
an instant with crystals of ice.

He was lounging (so he told Amyas) one murky day on Bideford quay, when
up came Mr. Salterne. Cary had shunned him of late, partly from
delicacy, partly from dislike of his supposed hard-heartedness. But
this time they happened to meet full; and Cary could not pass without
speaking to him.

"Well, Mr. Salterne, and how goes on the shipping trade?"

"Well enough, sir, if some of you young gentlemen would but foll