th him, and obtained a
promise from him that he would once a year sail over to Weymouth and
pay him a visit.

"I am a rich man, Jacques, now. At present I see you want nothing, but
should any accident befall your fishing boat, or you have need for
money for any other cause, write to me, and the money for a new boat
or for any other purpose shall be yours at once. I could afford to
give you a hundred boats without hurting myself, so do not hesitate
for a moment in letting me know if I can help you. It will be a real
pleasure to me to do so."

Jacques kept his promise, and never missed coming over once year to
pay Ralph a visit, and as his five sons one after another grew up to
be able to manage boats for themselves, they were each presented one
by Ralph. Jacques himself prospered as a fisherman, and never required
the assistance Ralph would have been glad to give him.

Neither Ralph nor Mabel Withers was informed of the expression of Mr.
Penfold's hopes in his will that they would some day be married, the
two mothers agreeing cordially that nothing was so likely to defeat
the carrying out of Mr. Penfold's wishes as for the young people to
have any suspicions of them. They were still but boy and girl, and
were now perfectly happy in their unrestrained intercourse, for not a
day passed that the two families did not see something of each other;
but had they had a suspicion of the truth it would have rendered them
shy and awkward with each other, and have thrown them much more widely
apart.

"We both hope that it will come about, Mrs. Conway," Mrs. Withers said
one day; "and I certainly think there is every prospect of it. Let us
leave well alone, and allow it to come about naturally and without
interference."

As soon as Ralph left the army he purchased Denis Mulligan's
discharge, and the Irishman was installed as butler and Ralph's
special servant at the Hall, and remained in his service to the end of
his life. In due time the natural change in the relations between the
two young people came about, and their youthful friendship ripened
into love. When Ralph was twenty-three, and Mabel had just come of
age, she changed her name and took up her place at the Hall, Mrs.
Conway gladly handing over the reins of government to her. She herself
lived with her children, for she was almost as fond of Mabel as of
Ralph, to the end of a long life; and deep was the regret among her
children and grandchildren when she was at last