e, sir; there is not a single passage that even bears upon it.
There are adventures of various kinds, curious incidents, many of
them in love, play, and gallantry; but of marriage, or even of any
speculation on the subject, not the remotest mention."

"This is most singular!"

"Is it not so, sir? But I have thought, perhaps, that you, who were
always his most attached friend,--you, at least, possessed some letters
which should throw light upon this matter, even to indicate the exact
date of it, where it occurred, who the witnesses."

"Not a line, not a syllable," said MacNaghten, with a sigh.

"This is more unfortunate than I expected," said Crowther. "I always
said to myself, 'Well, in his private correspondence, in the close
relations of friendship, we shall come upon some clew to the mystery.' I
always understood that with you he was frankness itself, sir?"

"So he was," rejoined MacNaghten.

"This reserve is therefore the more remarkable still. Can you account
for it in any way, sir?"

"Why should I account for it?" cried Dan, passionately. "My friend had
his own reasons for whatever he did,--good and sufficient ones, I 'll be
sworn."

"I feel assured of that, sir; don't mistake me for a moment, or suppose
I am impugning them. I merely desired to learn if you could, from your
intimate knowledge of your friend's character, trace this reserve on his
part to any distinct cause."

"My knowledge of him goes this far," said MacNaghten, haughtily, "that
he had an honorable motive for every aet of his life."

It required some address on Crowther's part to bring back MacNaghten to
that calm and deliberate tone of mind which the subject demanded. After
a while, however, he perfectly succeeded; and Dan arose, and accompanied
him to the library, where they both proceeded to search among my
father's papers, with which several boxes were filled.

CHAPTER XVIII. DISAPPOINTMENTS

The search for any document that could authenticate my father's marriage
proved totally unsuccessful, and although poor MacNaghten's zeal was
untiring and unwearied, all his efforts were fruitless.

Guided by the clew afforded in some of my father's letters, Dan
proceeded to Wales, ascertained the cottage where they had passed their
first month of married life, and found out many who had known them
by sight; but could chance upon nothing which should lead him to the
important fact where, and by whom, the marriage ceremony was solemnize