ather's mother? Old Mother Orryson?" said the old woman.

"No such luck," the old man muttered. "Comes to service every
morning, the old sinner."

"But there's another family living in her house," said Jason.

"Oh, that's because she's past her work, and the new Governor keeps
her," said the old man. "No news of your father, though," he added,
with a shrug, and then there was a silence for some minutes.

"Poor Rachel," said the old woman, presently. "Now _there_ was a good
creature. And, bless me, how she was wrapped up in her boy! I was
just like that when I had my poor little Olaf. I never had but one
child neither. Well, my lad," she said, dropping her flat iron and
raising her apron, "you can say you had a good mother anyhow."

Jason finished his supper and went out into the town. All thoughts,
save one thought, had been banished from his mind. Where was this
Michael Sunlocks? What was he? How was he to be met with? "Better not
ask," thought Jason. "Wait and watch." And so he walked on. Dark as
was the night, he knew every step of the way. The streets looked
smaller and meaner than he remembered them, and yet they showed an
unwonted animation. Oil lamps hung over many stalls, the stores were
still open and people passed to and fro in little busy throngs.
Recalling that heavy quiet of that hour of night five years ago,
Jason said to himself, "The town has awakened from a long sleep."

To avoid the glances of prying eyes, he turned down towards the
bridge, passing the Deanery and the Bishop's Palace. There the
streets were all but as quiet as of old, the windows showed few
lights, and the monotonous chime of the sea came up through the
silence from the iron-bound shore. Yet, even there, from two houses,
there were sounds of work. These were the Latin school and the jail.
In the school a company of students was being drilled by a sergeant,
whose words of command rang out in the intervals of shuffling feet.

"What does this mean?" said Jason to a group of young girls, who,
with shawls over their heads, were giggling together in the darkness
by the gate.

"It's the regiment started by the new Governor," said one of the
girls.

"The new Governor again," thought Jason, and turned away.

From the jail there came a noise as of carpenters hammering.

"What are they doing there?" said Jason to a little tailor, who
passed him on the street at that moment with his black bag on his
back.

"Turning the jail into a h