together from this time forth?"

"Yes, if you wish it."

"Will you go a step further? Will you leave off thinking about the
dream?"

"It's hard to leave off thinking about it, Allan. But I will try."

"That's a good fellow! Now give me that trumpery bit of paper, and let's
tear it up, and have done with it."

He tried to snatch the manuscript out of his friend's hand; but
Midwinter was too quick for him, and kept it beyond his reach.

"Come! come!" pleaded Allan. "I've set my heart on lighting my cigar
with it."

Midwinter hesitated painfully. It was hard to resist Allan; but he did
resist him. "I'll wait a little," he said, "before you light your cigar
with it."

"How long? Till to-morrow?"

"Longer."

"Till we leave the Isle of Man?"

"Longer."

"Hang it--give me a plain answer to a plain question! How long _will_
you wait?"

Midwinter carefully restored the paper to its place in his pocketbook.

"I'll wait," he said, "till we get to Thorpe Ambrose."

THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK.

*****

BOOK THE SECOND

I. LURKING MISCHIEF.

1. _From Ozias Midwinter to Mr. Brock_.

"Thorpe Ambrose, June 15, 1851.

"DEAR MR. BROCK--Only an hour since we reached this house, just as the
servants were locking up for the night. Allan has gone to bed, worn out
by our long day's journey, and has left me in the room they call the
library, to tell you the story of our journey to Norfolk. Being better
seasoned than he is to fatigues of all kinds, my eyes are quite wakeful
enough for writing a letter, though the clock on the chimney-piece
points to midnight, and we have been traveling since ten in the morning.

"The last news you had of us was news sent by Allan from the Isle of
Man. If I am not mistaken, he wrote to tell you of the night we passed
on board the wrecked ship. Forgive me, dear Mr. Brock, if I say nothing
on that subject until time has helped me to think of it with a quieter
mind. The hard fight against myself must all be fought over again; but I
will win it yet, please God; I will, indeed.

"There is no need to trouble you with any account of our journeyings
about the northern and western districts of the island, or of the short
cruises we took when the repairs of the yacht were at last complete.
It will be better if I get on at once to the morning of yesterday, the
fourteenth. We had come in with the night-tide to Douglas Harbor, and,
as soon as the post-office was open; Allan, by my