house
such as any one might be delighted to have--pine trees behind, a
garden in front, no end of barns and stables, with houses and cows,
fine wheat fields spreading all round, such as would do your heart
good. That is what Mr. Forman and his brother-in-law, Captain Alder,
have made, and there's a sweet little lady as ever you saw, Alder's
sister. The Captain was greatly puzzled to hear it was Lord
Northmoor's son I was looking for. He is not up in the peerage like
your father, you see, and I had to make him understand. He thought
Lord N. must be either the old man, or Lady Adela's little boy. He
said some of his happiest days had been at Northmoor, and he asked
after Lady Adela, and if Miss Morton was married. He came with me,
and soon made Mr. Rattler change his note, by showing him that it
would be easy to give him the sack, even if he was not laid hold of
by the law on my information for stealing the child. They are both
magistrates and could do it. So at last the fellow growled out that
he wasn't going to be troubled with another man's brat, and just
before embarking, he had laid it down asleep at the door of Liverpool
Workhouse! So no doubt poor little Michael is there! I would have
telegraphed at once; but I don't know where my uncle is, or whether
he knows about it, but you can find out and send him this letter at
once. I have asked him to pay your advance out of my quarter; and as
to the rest of it, it is all owing to you that the poor little kid is
not to grow up a pauper.

'I am staying on at Northmoor--it sounds natural; they want another
hand for their harvesting, so I am working out my board, as is the
way here, at any rate till I hear from my uncle, and I shall ask him
to let me stay here for good as a farming-pupil. It would suit me
ever so much better than the militia, even if I could get into it,
which I suppose I haven't done. It is a splendid country, big enough
to stretch oneself in, and I shall never stand being cramped up in an
island after it; besides that I don't want to see Ida again in a
hurry, though there is some one I should like no end to see again.
There, I must not say any more, but send this on to my uncle. I wish
I could see his face. I did look to bring Mite back to him, but that
can't be, as I have not tin enough to carry me home.