rend George
Treherne."

I rose to greet him, of course.

"I'm very glad to see you, Mr. Treherne," I said, and he could not know
how exceptionally truthful the conventional words were. "I must
introduce myself--Maurice Wynn. My cousin, Mrs. Cayley, will be down
directly; Jim--Mr. Cayley--is on the golf links. Won't you sit
down--right here?"

I politely pulled forward the most comfortable of the wicker chairs.

"Thanks. You're an American, Mr. Wynn?" he asked.

"That's so," I said, wondering how he guessed it so soon.

We got on famously while we waited for Mary, chatting about England in
general and Cornwall in particular. He'd been vicar of Morwen for over
forty years.

I had to confess that I'd not seen much of the neighborhood at present,
though I hoped to do so now I was better.

"It's the loveliest corner in England, sir!" he asserted
enthusiastically. "And there are some fine old houses about; you
Americans are always interested in our old English country seats, aren't
you? Well, you must go to Pencarrow,--a gem of its kind. It belongs to
the Pendennis family, but--"

"Pendennis!" I exclaimed, sitting up in astonishment; "not Anthony
Pendennis!"

He looked at me as if he thought I'd suddenly taken leave of my senses.

"Yes, Anthony Pendennis is the present owner; I knew him well as a young
man. But he has lived abroad for many years. Do you know him?"

CHAPTER XXIX

LIGHT ON THE PAST

"Yes, I've met him once, under very strange circumstances," I answered.
"I'd like to tell them to you; but not now. I don't want my cousin to
know anything about it," I added hastily, for I heard Mary's voice
speaking to the maid, and knew she would be out in another minute.

"May I come and see you, Mr. Treherne? I've a very special reason for
asking."

He must have thought me a polite lunatic, but he said courteously:

"I shall be delighted to see you at the vicarage, Mr. Wynn, and to hear
any news you can give me concerning my old friend. Perhaps you could
come this evening?"

I accepted the invitation with alacrity.

"Thanks; that's very good of you. I'll come round after dinner, then.
But please don't mention the Pendennises to my cousin, unless she does
so first. I'll explain why, later."

There was no time for more, as Mary reappeared.

A splendid old gentleman was the Rev. George Treherne. Although he must
certainly have been puzzled by my manner and my requests, he concealed
the fact adm