ntirely incredible one.

After a little further thought, another idea occurred to him. Father
Cristoforo's letter consisted of three closely-written sheets of paper.
He separated the first sheet from the others; the last words on the
sheet ran as follows:--

"Is it on account of either of these ladies that you have returned to
England?"

This sheet he folded and enclosed in an envelope, which he carefully
sealed and addressed to John Stretton, Esquire. He placed the other
sheets in his own pocket-book, and then went peacefully to bed. He could
do nothing more, he told himself, and, although his excitable
disposition prevented his sleeping until dawn grew red in the eastern
sky, he would not waste his powers unnecessarily by sitting up to brood
over the resolution that he had taken.

Before ten o'clock next morning he was riding to Strathleckie. On
reaching the house he asked at once if he could see Mr. Stretton. The
maid-servant who answered the door looked surprised, hesitated a moment,
and then asked him to walk in. He followed her, and was not surprised to
find that she was conducting him straight to the school-room, which was
on the ground-floor. He had thought that she looked stupid; now he was
sure of it. But it was a stupidity so much to his advantage that he
mentally vowed to reward it by the gift of half-a-crown when he had the
opportunity.

The boys were at their lessons; their tutor sat at the head of the
table, with his back towards the light. When he saw Hugo enter, he
calmly took a pair of blue spectacles from the table and fixed them upon
his nose. Hugo admired the coolness of the action. The blue spectacles
were even a better disguise than the grey hair and the beard; if Mr.
Stretton had worn them when he was standing at the railway station door,
Hugo would never have been haunted by that look of recognition in his
eyes.

"Mary has made a mistake," said Mr. Stretton to one of the boys, in a
curiously-muffled voice. "Take this gentleman up to the drawing-room,
Harry."

"There is no mistake," said Hugo, suavely. "I called to see Mr. Stretton
on business; it will not take me a moment to explain. Mr. Stretton, may
I ask whether you have lost any paper--a letter, I think--during the
last few days?"

"Yes. I lost a letter yesterday afternoon."

"On the high road, I think. Then I was not mistaken in supposing that a
paper that the wind blew to my feet this morning, as I was strolling
down the road,