the time Mr. Penfold drew
up his will, at eighty thousand pounds; these estates he left to your
son, and the sum of eighty-thousand pounds, in various investments, to
Miss Withers, and directed that the residue, whatever it might be at
his death, should be equally divided between them. Your son's share,
therefore, will amount to about twenty-five thousand pounds. I may say
that the outlying farms, which were settled by deed as a security for
the four hundred pounds annually paid to you, are not included in the
above valuation, but are ordered to revert to the main estate upon
your decease.

"The formalities will all be completed in the course of a short time.
I may say that from the totals to be divided must be deducted the
legacy duties, which, as your son and Miss Withers are strangers by
blood to the testator, will be heavy." Mr. Tallboys added that he
heard the younger Miss Penfold was now recovering from her serious
illness, but it was not probable she would ever be again herself. He
had received, he said, a letter that morning from their solicitor,
saying that as soon as Miss Eleanor Penfold could be moved, which it
was hoped would be in the course of another week, the ladies would
vacate possession of the Hall.

A fortnight later Mrs. Conway and Ralph left Dover for London, leaving
orders with an agent to sell the furniture of their house. All Ralph's
old friends on the shore had been made happy with handsome presents.
After a short stay in London they went down, and Ralph took possession
of the Hall. He soon found there was abundance of occupation for his
time on the estate, and that this would be increased when, as would
doubtless be the case, he was placed on the Commission of Peace for
the county, as Herbert Penfold had been before him.

As soon as Ralph had completely recovered his health and strength he
told his mother that she must spare him for a week, as he had promised
that he would on the first opportunity go over to Dunkirk to see his
friend Jacques.

He crossed by the packet from Dover to Calais, and thence by coach to
Dunkirk. Here he inquired among the fishermen for Jacques, and found
that he had returned before Napoleon broke out from Elba, and that he
was owner of a fishing smack which was now at sea. The next day
Jacques returned, and his delight at meeting Ralph was unbounded. He
took him home to his neat cottage where his pretty young wife was
already installed. Ralph remained two days wi