e got six to one against it
he came uncommonly well out of it."

"And do you think it likely that Miss Greendale will accept him?"

"Ah! that I cannot say. He has certainly been making very strong
running, and if I were a betting man I should not mind laying two
to one on the event coming off."

Frank joined the Osprey, which was lying off Portsmouth Harbour, on
the following day.

"I am back earlier than I expected, George," he said, as Lechmere
met him at the station. "I have got tired of London, and want to be
on board again."

"Nothing gone wrong in town, I hope, Major?" George said next day,
as he was removing the breakfast things. "You will excuse my
asking, but you don't seem to me to be yourself since you came on
board."

"Well, yes, George. I am upset, I confess. I am sure you will be
sorry, too, when I tell you that it is more than probable that Miss
Greendale is going to marry Mr. Carthew."

George put the dish he was holding down on the table with a crash,
and stood gazing at Frank in blank dismay.

"Why, sir, I thought," he said, slowly, "that it was going to be
you and Miss Greendale. I had always thought so. Excuse me, sir, I
don't mean any offence, but that is what we have all thought ever
since she came down to christen the yacht."

"There is no offence, George. Yes, I don't mind telling you that I
had hoped so myself, but it was not to be. You see, Miss Greendale
has known me since she was a child, and she has never thought of me
in any other way than as a sort of cousin--someone she liked very
much, but had never thought of for a moment as one she could marry.
That is all past and gone, but I should be sorry, most sorry, for
her to marry Carthew, knowing what I do of him."

"But it must not be, sir," George said, vehemently. "You can never
let that sweet young lady marry that black-hearted villain."

"Unfortunately I cannot prevent it, George."

"Why, sir, you would only have to tell her about Martha, and I am
sure it would do for his business. Miss Greendale can know nothing
about it. So far as I can remember, she was not more than sixteen
at the time. I don't suppose Lady Greendale ever heard of it. She
knew, of course, of Martha's being missing, because it made quite a
stir, but I don't suppose that she heard of her coming back. She
was only at home three weeks before she died. There were not many
that ever saw her, and father told me that he and the others made
it so hot for Carth