the
suggestions of feeling."

"If Fanny were to prove false to me, I should lie down and die,"
exclaimed Oaklands vehemently.

"You might wish to do so," replied I; "but grief does ~411~~ not always
kill; if it did, in many cases it would lose half its bitterness."

A look was his only answer, and we parted for the night.

Daylight the next morning found me again in the saddle, and I reached
the little inn by eight o'clock. On my arrival, I despatched a messenger
to old Peter Barnett, telling him I wished to see him, and then,
determining that I would not allow myself to hope, only again to be
disappointed, I rang for breakfast, and set resolutely to work to
demolish it; in which I succeeded very respectably, merely stopping
to walk round the room and look out of the window between every second
mouthful. At length my envoy returned, with a message to the effect that
Mr. Barnett would come down in the course of the morning, but that I was
by no means to go away without seeing him, and that he hoped I would be
careful not to show myself, as the enemy were out in great force, and
all the sentries had been doubled.

"What does he mean by that?" inquired I of the boy who delivered the
message--an intelligent little urchin, who was evidently well up in the
whole affair, and appeared highly delighted at the trust reposed in him,
to say nothing of the harvest of sixpences his various missions produced
him.

"Vy, sir, he means that the gamekeeper has had two extra assistants
allowed him since you vos there the other day, sir, and they has strict
orders to take hup anybody as they finds in the park, sir."

"They need not alarm themselves," replied I; "I shall not intrude upon
their domain again in a hurry. Now look out, and let me know when Peter
Barnett is coming."

So saying, I gave him the wished-for sixpence, and with a grin of
satisfaction he departed.

With leaden feet the hours crawled along, and still old Peter Barnett
did not make his appearance; when, about twelve o'clock, a horseman
passed by, followed by a groom. As he rode at a very quiet pace, his
face was easily recognised, and I saw at a glance it was Mr. Vernor.
Fortunately he never looked towards the window at which I was standing,
or he must have seen me. Scarcely ten minutes had elapsed, when old
Peter arrived, breathless from the speed at which he had come; his
grotesque but expressive features gleaming with delight and sagacity,
while his merry l