other by the hand once more, and still letting the Present
time steal on, as it was the habit for men to do, and suffering the
Future to melt into the Past. How this brother, whose temper was very
mild and quiet and retiring--such as Mr Abel's--was greatly beloved by
the simple people among whom he dwelt, who quite revered the Bachelor
(for so they called him), and had every one experienced his charity and
benevolence. How even those slight circumstances had come to his
knowledge, very slowly and in course of years, for the Bachelor was one
of those whose goodness shuns the light, and who have more pleasure in
discovering and extolling the good deeds of others, than in trumpeting
their own, be they never so commendable. How, for that reason, he
seldom told them of his village friends; but how, for all that, his
mind had become so full of two among them--a child and an old man, to
whom he had been very kind--that, in a letter received a few days
before, he had dwelt upon them from first to last, and had told such a
tale of their wandering, and mutual love, that few could read it
without being moved to tears. How he, the recipient of that letter,
was directly led to the belief that these must be the very wanderers
for whom so much search had been made, and whom Heaven had directed to
his brother's care. How he had written for such further information as
would put the fact beyond all doubt; how it had that morning arrived;
had confirmed his first impression into a certainty; and was the
immediate cause of that journey being planned, which they were to take
to-morrow.

'In the meantime,' said the old gentleman rising, and laying his hand
on Kit's shoulder, 'you have a great need of rest; for such a day as
this would wear out the strongest man. Good night, and Heaven send our
journey may have a prosperous ending!'

CHAPTER 69

Kit was no sluggard next morning, but, springing from his bed some time
before day, began to prepare for his welcome expedition. The hurry of
spirits consequent upon the events of yesterday, and the unexpected
intelligence he had heard at night, had troubled his sleep through the
long dark hours, and summoned such uneasy dreams about his pillow that
it was rest to rise.

But, had it been the beginning of some great labour with the same end
in view--had it been the commencement of a long journey, to be
performed on foot in that inclement season of the year, to be pursued
under very pri