the person who called
on you will take the trouble to apply again, either personally or by
letter, he may obtain the information sought for. In case he does,
I will trouble you to direct him to--yes--to Monsieur de Vaudemont,
according to this address."

"Not to you, then?"

"It is the same thing," replied Philip, drily. "You have confirmed my
suspicions, that the Beauforts know some thing of my brother. What did
you say of some other friend of the family who assisted in the search?"

"Oh,--a Mr. Spencer! an old acquaintance of your mother's." Here Mr.
Morton smiled, but not being encouraged in a joke, went on, "However,
that's neither here nor there; he certainly never found out your
brother. For I have had several letters from him at different times,
asking if any news had been heard of either of you."

And, indeed, Spencer had taken peculiar pains to deceive the Mortons,
whose interposition he feared little less than that of the Beauforts.

"Then it can be of no use to apply to him," said Philip, carelessly, not
having any recollection of the name of Spencer, and therefore attaching
little importance to the mention of him.

"Certainly, I should think not. Depend on it, Mr. Beaufort must know."

"True," said Philip. "And I have only to thank you for your kindness,
and return to town."

"But stay with us this day--do--let me feel that we are friends. I
assure you poor Sidney's fate has been a load on my mind ever since he
left. You shall have the bed he slept in, and over which your mother
bent when she left him and me for the last time."

These words were said with so much feeling, that the adventurer wrung
his uncle's hand, and said, "Forgive me, I wronged you--I will be your
guest."

Mrs. Morton, strange to say, evinced no symptoms of ill-humour at the
news of the proffered hospitality. In fact, Miss Margaret had been
so eloquent in Philip's praise during his absence, that she suffered
herself to be favourably impressed. Her daughter, indeed, had obtained a
sort of ascendency over Mrs. M. and the whole house, ever since she
had received so excellent an offer. And, moreover, some people are like
dogs--they snarl at the ragged and fawn on the well-dressed. Mrs. Morton
did not object to a nephew de facto, she only objected to a nephew in
forma pauperis. The evening, therefore, passed more cheerfully than
might have been anticipated, though Philip found some difficulty in
parrying the many questions put to