of him. We had a dozen or more such men on board
the last ship in which I served, and they were out and out the best men
we had; they could be trusted on all occasions; and if any dangerous
work had to be done, they were the first to volunteer. They were
Dissenters of some sort, I believe, and were not in favour with our
ritualistic chaplain, who had his followers both among officers and men.
I can't say much about those officers, and as to the men who pretended
to agree with him, they were the most sneaking rascals in the ship. He
tried to bring me over to his way of thinking, but my eyes were opened.
`No, no,' I answered; `if the ship was going down, and you had to take
your chance in one of the boats, which would you choose, the one manned
by those fellows you anathematise, or with the men you call obedient
sons of the Church?' He couldn't answer; but one day, he being left on
shore, the heretics, as he called them, brought him off through a heavy
surf, when no other men would venture. So you see, thanks to our
chaplain, when I found the new vicar working changes in the church, I
knew pretty well what he was about."

The general found Mr Franklin, his solicitor, at home.

"I am very glad you have come, general," said the latter. "Miss
Maynard, as you are probably aware, has been induced to leave home, or,
rather, has been entrapped by one of those conventual establishments, to
which she will in due course, when she has the power, be persuaded to
give up her property. Our business must be to get her out of their
hands before that time arrives; and yours, general, more especially to
point out to her the errors of the system which has thrown its glamour
over her; for, if I understand rightly, she has sacrificed an excellent
and satisfactory marriage, as well as the independence and comforts of
home. It was not for a considerable time that I discovered her absence
from Luton, when her aunt (who, no disrespect to the lady, I consider it
a misfortune was left one of her guardians) positively declared that she
did not know where she had gone. I, however, took steps to find out,
and lately ascertained that she is an inmate of Saint Barbara's, near
Staughton, to which place I discovered that she drove on leaving the
railway, in company with Mr and Mrs Lerew. Convinced that Miss
Pemberton was not likely to render any willing assistance, I awaited
your return to take legal measures to obtain her release. Our first
d