nk, "one day will decide my fate. Time, money, and
temper will not have been wasted, if I get only half an hour's talk with
Alice Elstree."

CHAPTER V.

Mr Percy Marvale, in the mean time, had not been idle at Howkey. He had
established himself in the house, in spite of all the sour looks and
short answers Mr Smith could bestow on him. All his attempts at a
lodgment were aided by the invitations of Sibylla, whether conveyed in
words or in untranslatable smiles and glances. An instantaneous
friendship was established between him and the younger branches; and
from some of the children, who came down to see their papa, and
congratulate him on his return, he picked out a great mass of
information about the affairs of the nursery and school-room. There
certainly was as a governess--young, pretty, and very shy--exactly such
as he supposed Miss Elstree would be; and his hopes were further raised
by learning that her name was Alice. His next object was to see her--to
speak to her, if possible--and satisfy himself of her identity; for, as
the information contained in Frank's letter did not emanate from
himself, and he had not even been admitted by his principal to a
knowledge of its contents, he was not inclined to believe that the
discovery could be made without him.

By dint of remaining at Howkey till it was impossible for Old Smith to
avoid asking the friend of his preserver to stay all night, he managed
to make good his quarters on the ground of his operations, and resolved
to commence proceedings as early as possible in the morning. Sibylla lay
awake half the night, revolving all the strange speeches he had made
her--his allusions to the hidden treasure in the house--the lost star--
the incognito goddess--and tracing in all his fine expressions one
paramount idea of his anxiety to make himself master of a perfect
paragon of beauty and romance, she could not avoid coming to the
conclusion, that these were all metaphorical declarations of attachment
to herself. And, on the following day, her manner had derived so much
_empressement_ from these cogitations, that all the efforts of Monimia
on the imperturbable Frank were cast into the shade by the extraordinary
evolutions of the sentimental Sibylla.

"Gads!" said Mr Percy Marvale to himself, "this beats the Surrey all to
sticks. He must be shockingly rich"--he thought, looking round the
splendidly furnished drawing-room; "I'll see if I can't do a little
business o