over to seek his
bed.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

RETURNS HOME.

Next morning John Deane set out to Nottingham, mounted on his strong
horse, with a hanger slung to a sash over his shoulder, a laced coat,
having an undoubted nautical cut about it, with a cocked hat, his
waistcoat with long flaps, also richly embroidered. Altogether, with
his hat cocked rakishly on one side, though he was unaware of the fact,
he presented a gallant and bold appearance. He was just crossing the
bridge over the Trent, into the town, when he saw a party of ladies and
gentlemen on horseback approaching him. First came a gentleman in a
laced riding-suit, wearing a fair peruke with a buckle, as the mode then
was, engaged in low conversation with a young lady in a cherry-coloured
riding-habit, her long hair hanging in loose curls over her shoulders.
In the first he recognised his brother Jasper, and in the lady, the fair
Alethea. She glanced slightly at Jack's bronzed countenance, surrounded
by a bushy beard and whiskers, and well-knit figure. He drew his horse
on one side to let the party pass. But though she looked up a second
time, she evidently did not recognise him, nor did his brother.

Following them came another young gentleman with his merry sister Polly
by his side. She was laughing loudly, as was her wont, either at her
own jokes or at something her companion had said. Jack fully thought
that she at all events would find him out, but she was possibly too much
engaged in her own pleasant thoughts to do so, for though she gave a
look at the naval gallant whom she was passing, she took no further
notice of him.

"I won't stop them," thought Jack, "but go home and have a talk with
father and mother first; and if Jasper is the gentleman who it is said
is going to marry Alethea, the sooner I'm off to sea again the better!
It looked something like it, for it's certain he never used to dress so
bravely; and, by the way he was looking at her, I cannot help thinking
it's too true. Well, I wish him every happiness. There's no use
repining; and I don't see how I could have expected it to be otherwise.
Of course he would fall in love with her; and she certainly never gave
me any reason to suppose that she cared especially for me."

Such were the thoughts which occupied his mind as he rode up to the
well-known door of his father's house in the market-place. The servant
who opened the door bowed respectfully to the gallant strange