o on with what I was saying, two years ago, when I
came to my senses about her, and before I cared for anyone else,
I told her to write if ever I could do her a service. Anything
that a man could do for his sister I was bound to do for her, and
I told her so. She never answered till yesterday, when I got this
note," and he dived into the inner breast pocket of his shooting.
coat. "If it isn't soaked to pulp, it's in my pocket now. Yes,
here it is," and he produced a dirty piece of paper, and handed
it across to his companion. "When there's light enough to read
it, you'll see plain enough what she means, though your name is
not mentioned."

Having finished his statement, Tom retired into himself, and
walked along watching the hurrying clouds. After they had gone
some hundred yards, Harry cleared his throat once or twice, and
at last broke out,--

"Master Tom."

"Well."

"You bean't offended wi' me, sir, I hopes?"

"No, why should I be offended?"

"'Cause I knows I be so all-fired jealous, I can't a'bear to hear
o' her talkin', let alone writin' to--"

"Out with it. To me, you were going to say."

"Nay, 'tis mwore nor that."

"All right, Harry, if you only lump me with the rest of mankind,
I don't care. But you needn't be jealous of me, and you mustn't
be jealous of me, or I sha'n't be able to help you as I want to
do. I'll give you my hand and word on it as man to man, there's
no thought in my heart towards her that you mightn't see this
minute. Do you believe me?"

"Ees; and you'll forgive--"

"There's nothing to forgive, Harry. But now you'll allow your
case isn't such a bad one. She must keep a good lookout after you
to know what you were likely to be about to-day. And if she
didn't care for you, she wouldn't have written to me. That's good
sense, I think."

Harry assented, and then Tom went into a consideration of what
was to be done, and, as usual, fair castles began to rise in the
air. Harry was to start down the line at once, and take work on
the railway. In a few weeks he would be captain of a gang, and
then what was to hinder his becoming a contractor, and making his
fortune, and buying a farm of his own at Englebourn? To all which
Harry listened with open ears till they got off the heath, and
came upon a small hamlet of some half-dozen cottages scattered
along the road.

"There's a public here, I suppose," said Tom, returning to the
damp realities of life. Harry indicated the humble place o