tiously at the
conclusion that it was his bounden duty to summon the lord of the manor
to hear sound views enunciated in the parish church. Sir Felix
fiercely resented the clergyman's well-meant but ill-directed
interference, insulting him so grossly and so publicly, that the
families in the neighbourhood sent letters of indignant remonstrance to
the Park, and even the tenants of the Blackwater property expressed
their opinion as strongly as they dared. The baronet, who had no
country tastes of any kind, and no attachment to the estate or to any
one living on it, declared that society at Blackwater should never have
a second chance of annoying him, and left the place from that moment.

After a short residence in London he and his wife departed for the
Continent, and never returned to England again. They lived part of the
time in France and part in Germany--always keeping themselves in the
strict retirement which the morbid sense of his own personal deformity
had made a necessity to Sir Felix. Their son, Percival, had been born
abroad, and had been educated there by private tutors. His mother was
the first of his parents whom he lost. His father had died a few years
after her, either in 1825 or 1826. Sir Percival had been in England,
as a young man, once or twice before that period, but his acquaintance
with the late Mr. Fairlie did not begin till after the time of his
father's death. They soon became very intimate, although Sir Percival
was seldom, or never, at Limmeridge House in those days. Mr. Frederick
Fairlie might have met him once or twice in Mr. Philip Fairlie's
company, but he could have known little of him at that or at any other
time. Sir Percival's only intimate friend in the Fairlie family had
been Laura's father.

These were all the particulars that I could gain from Marian. They
suggested nothing which was useful to my present purpose, but I noted
them down carefully, in the event of their proving to be of importance
at any future period.

Mrs. Todd's reply (addressed, by our own wish, to a post-office at some
distance from us) had arrived at its destination when I went to apply
for it. The chances, which had been all against us hitherto, turned
from this moment in our favour. Mrs. Todd's letter contained the first
item of information of which we were in search.

Mrs. Clements, it appeared, had (as we had conjectured) written to
Todd's Corner, asking pardon in the first place for the abrupt