t of his mother, and she hung them
around his neck. Examine the clasp and you will find S.B., the
initials of her maiden name, engraved upon it. My tears blind my
sight."

"They are, indeed, upon the clasp," said Mrs. Pownal, who appeared
to have a greater control over herself than her husband over his
feelings: "we have often seen them, but little did we expect they
would ever contribute to the discovery of the parentage of our
dear"----

She turned to young Pownal, and threw her arms again about his neck.

"Come hither, Thomas," said Mr. Pownal, "the necklace was taken from
your neck. This is your father. Mr. Holden, embrace your son."

The young man rushed to his father, and threw himself at his feet.
Holden extended his hands, but the sudden revulsion of high wrought
feeling was more than he could bear. The color fled face and lips, and
he fell forward insensible into the arms of his long lost son.

"I feared it would be so," said Mr. Pownal; "but joy seldom kills.
See," he added, after Mrs. Pownal had sprinkled some water in the face
of the gasping man, "he is recovering. He will soon be himself again."

Restored to consciousness, Holden clasped his recovered son to his
bosom, and kissed his cheeks, while the young man returned with warmth
his demonstrations of affection. Pownal, we have seen, had been from
the first attracted to the Solitary, either by the noble qualities he
discovered in him, or from the interest he felt in his romantic
mode of life, or from that mysterious sympathy of consanguinity, the
existence of which is asserted by some, and denied by others. He
was, therefore, prepared to receive with pleasure the relationship.
Besides, it was a satisfaction to find his father in one, who, however
poor his worldly circumstances, and whatever his eccentricities, was
evidently a man of education and noble mind. For the young man was
himself a nobleman of nature, who had inherited some of the romance
of his father, and, indeed, in whom were slumbering, unconsciously to
himself, many traits of character like those of the father, and which
needed only opportunity to be developed.

The first words Holden uttered, after recovering from his emotion
sufficiently to speak, were:

"Lord! now let thou thy servant depart, for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation."

"Do not talk of departing," said Mr. Pownal. "It seems to me now is
the very time to stay. Many years of happiness are in store for you."

"But,"