rtunity of exchanging with her more than a few commonplace
remarks. At the same time she watched him furtively, and he seldom
left the house or entered it without her knowledge. She had learned
his history, so far as Nelly Trefethen knew it, and, by her readiness
to listen, encouraged the girl to talk by the hour on this theme.

She also learned one thing about him that was not told her, and that
was that he was engaged to be married. One evening Nelly and Connell,
coming back from a walk, encountered Peveril near the house, and close
under a window at which Mary happened to be standing. As the young man
was about to pass them the Irishman stopped him, saying:

"Oh, Mister Peril, would you mind telling Nelly here the thing you
told me down the new shaft that time?"

"I don't think I remember what it was."

"About your being bespoke."

"Oh! about my engagement? Yes, I remember now that you did want me to
tell Miss Nelly of it, though I am sure I can't imagine why it should
interest her."

"Arrah, Mister Peril, don't every young woman be interested to know if
she's to smile on a young man or give him the cold stare?"

"If that is the case," laughed Peveril, "I am afraid all the girls
must give me the cold stare, for I certainly am engaged; and, by the
way, Miss Nelly, do you know if there is a letter awaiting me at your
house? I received one from my sweetheart on the very day that I left
Red Jacket, and, with most unpardonable carelessness, managed to lose
it without having even opened it."

"I don't know, Mr. Peril--I mean, I didn't hear mother, speak of it,"
stammered the girl, so frightened that for a moment she had no idea of
what she was saying. "I do mind, though, seeing one advertised in the
post-office with a name something like yours," she added, more
coherently.

"Then I must have dropped it on the street, and whoever found it must
have been honest enough to return it to the post-office. I will write
at once for it, and am much obliged for your information."

Some days later Peveril did write to the Red Jacket postmaster, and
received prompt answer that the bit of mail-matter in question had
been sent to the dead-letter office. So he wrote to Washington
concerning his missing letter, and in due time learned that it had
been returned to sender. Then, as he had no idea of "sender's" present
address, he decided to wait until hearing from her again before
attempting to forward his explanation of how it a