bled up to the place.

It was all bustle. Travellers at the door; their wagons and carts under
a long shed.

Ucatella was the first to see him coming, and came and fawned on him
with delight. Her eyes glistened, her teeth gleamed. She patted both
his cheeks, and then his shoulders, and even his knees, and then flew
in-doors crying, "My doctor child is come home!" This amused three
travellers, and brought out Dick, with a hearty welcome.

"But Lordsake, sir, why have you come afoot; and a rough road too? Look
at your shoes. Hallo! What is come of the horse?"

"I exchanged him for a diamond."

"The deuce you did! And the rifle?"

"Exchanged that for the same diamond."

"It ought to be a big 'un."

"It is."

Dick made a wry face. "Well, sir, you know best. You are welcome, on
horse or afoot. You are just in time; Phoebe and me are just sitting
down to dinner."

He took him into a little room they had built for their own privacy, for
they liked to be quiet now and then, being country bred; and Phoebe was
putting their dinner on the table, when Staines limped in.

She gave a joyful cry, and turned red all over. "Oh, doctor!" Then his
travel-torn appearance struck her. "But, dear heart! what a figure!
Where's Reginald? Oh, he's not far off, I know."

And she flung open the window, and almost flew through it in a moment,
to look for her husband.

"Reginald?" said Staines. Then turning to Dick Dale, "Why, he is
here--isn't he?"

"No, sir: not without he is just come with you."

"With me?--no. You know we parted at the diggings. Come, Mr. Dale, he
may not be here now; but he has been here. He must have been here."

Phoebe, who had not lost a word, turned round, with all her high color
gone, and her cheeks getting paler and paler. "Oh, Dick! what is this?"

"I don't understand it," said Dick. "Whatever made you think he was
here, sir?"

"Why, I tell you he left me to come here."

"Left you, sir!" faltered Phoebe. "Why, when?--where?"

"At the diggings--ever so long ago."

"Blank him! that is just like him; the uneasy fool!" roared Dick.

"No, Mr. Dale, you should not say that; he left me, with my consent,
to come to Mrs. Falcon here, and consult her about disposing of our
diamonds."

"Diamonds!--diamonds!" cried Phoebe. "Oh, they make me tremble. How
COULD you let him go alone! You didn't let HIM go on foot, I hope?"

"Oh, no, Mrs. Falcon; he had his horse, and his rifle, and money to
spend on the