cies, but as completely "adscripti glebae" of the
neighbourhood of the Abbey House as that house itself. He would as
soon have expected to see Caresfoot's Staff re-rooted in the soil of
Madeira, as to find them strolling about Funchal. He rubbed his eyes;
perhaps, he thought, he had been knocked silly and was labouring under
a hallucination. No, there was no doubt about it; there they were,
just the same as he had seen them at Isleworth, except that if
possible Sir John looked even more like a ripe apple than usual, while
the sun had browned his wife's Egyptian face and given her a last
finish as a perfect type of Cleopatra. Nor was the recognition on his
side only, for next second his hand was grasped first by Sir John and
then by Lady Bellamy.

"When we last met, Mr. Heigham," said the gentleman, with a benevolent
beam, "I think I expressed a wish that we might soon renew our
acquaintance, but I little thought under what circumstances our next
meeting would take place," and he pointed to the overturned sledges
and the prostrate sledgers.

"You have had a very merciful escape," chimed in Lady Bellamy,
cordially; "with so many hard stones about, affairs might have ended
differently."

"Now then, Mr. Heigham, we had better set to and run, that is, if
Agatha has got a run left in her, or we shall be late after all. Thank
goodness nobody is hurt; but we must find a hammock for Agatha, for to
judge from her groans she thinks she is. Is my nose---- Oh, I beg your
pardon," and Mrs. Carr stopped short, observing for the first time
that he was talking to strangers.

"Do not let me detain you, if you are in a hurry. I am so thankful
that nobody is hurt," said Lady Bellamy. "I believe that we are
stopping at the same hotel, Mr. Heigham, I saw your name in the book,
so we shall have plenty of opportunities of meeting."

But Arthur felt that there was one question which he must ask before
he went on, whether or no it exceeded the strict letter of his
agreement with Philip; so, calling to Mrs. Carr that he was coming, he
said, with a blush,

"How was Miss Caresfoot when--when you last saw her, Lady Bellamy?"

"Perfectly well," she answered, smiling.

"And more lovely than ever," added her husband.

"Thank you for that news, it is the best I have heard for some time.
Good-bye for the present, we shall meet to-morrow at breakfast," and
he ran on after the others, happier than he had been for months,
feeling that he had com