ns are Irish."

"Then I will set off for Ireland to-morrow morning, sir," said I.

"You will do no such thing," replied the lawyer; "but you will call upon
me to-morrow evening, and perhaps I may have something to say to you."

I did not fail to attend Mr Masterton, who stated that he had made
every inquiry relative to the De Benyons; as he had said, they were an
Irish family of the highest rank, and holding the peerage of De
Beauvoir; but that he had written to his agent in Dublin, giving him
directions to obtain for him every possible information in his power
relative to all the individuals composing it. Till this had been
received, all that I could do was to remain quiet. I then narrated to
him the behaviour of the agent, Mr Iving, to Timothy. "There is some
mystery there, most assuredly," observed Mr Masterton: "when do you go
again to--?"

I replied, that it was not my intention to go there for some time,
unless he would wish to see the little girl.

"I do, Newland. I think I must take her under my protection as well as
you. We will go down to-morrow. Sunday is the only day I can spare;
but it must be put down as a work of charity."

The next day we went down to --. Fleta was surprised to see me so soon,
and Mr Masterton was much struck with the elegance and classical
features of my little protegee. He asked her many questions, and, with
his legal tact, contrived to draw from her many little points relative
to her infant days, which she had, till he put his probing questions,
quite forgotten. As we returned to town, he observed, "You are right,
Japhet; that is no child of humble origin. Her very appearance
contradicts it; but we have, I think, a chance of discovering who she
is--a better one, I'm afraid, than at present we have for your
identification. But never mind, let us trust to perseverance."

For three weeks I continued to live with Harcourt, but I did not go out
much. Such was the state of my affairs, when Timothy came to my room
one morning, and said, "I do not know whether you have observed it, sir;
but there is a man constantly lurking about here, watching the house, I
believe. I think, but still I'm not quite sure, that I have seen his
face before; but where I cannot recollect."

"Indeed, what sort of a person may he be?"

"He is a very dark man, stout, and well made; and is dressed in a sort
of half-sailor, half-gentleman's dress, such as you see put on by those
who belong to the