lied Patience, sobbing again, "although I
did not tell him so."

The Intendant remained silent for some time, and then said--

"There is no cause for further concealment, Patience; I have only to
regret that I was not more explicit sooner. I have long suspected, and
have since been satisfied, that Edward Armitage is Edward Beverley, who,
with his brother and sisters, were supposed to have been burnt to death
at Arnwood."

Patience removed her handkerchief from her face, and looked at her
father with astonishment.

"I tell you that I had a strong suspicion of it, my dear child, first,
from the noble appearance, which no forest garb could disguise; but what
gave me further conviction was, that when at Lymington I happened to
fall in with one Benjamin, who had been a servant at Arnwood, and
interrogated him closely. He really believed that the children were
burnt; it is true that I asked him particularly relative to the
appearance of the children--how many were boys and how many were girls,
their ages, etcetera; but the strongest proof was, that the names of the
four children corresponded with the names of the Children of the Forest,
as well as their ages, and I went to the church register and extracted
them. Now this was almost amounting to proof; for it was not likely
that four children in the forest cottage should have the same ages and
names as those of Arnwood. After I had ascertained this point, I
engaged Edward, as you know, wishing to secure him; for I was once
acquainted with his father, and at all events well acquainted with the
Colonel's merits. You remained in the house together, and it was with
pleasure that I watched the intimacy between you; and then I exerted
myself to get Arnwood restored to him. I could not ask it for him, but
I prevented it being given to any other, by laying claim to it myself.
Had Edward remained with us, all might have succeeded as I wished; but
he would join in the unfortunate insurrection, and I knew it useless to
prevent him, so I let him go. I found that he took the name of Beverley
during the time he was with the king's army, and when I was last in town
I was told so by the commissioners, who wondered where he had come from;
but the effect was, that it was now useless for me to request the estate
for him, as I had wished to do--his having served in the royal army
rendered it impossible. I therefore claimed it for myself, and
succeeded. I had made up my mind that he w