her brother.

'No, no,' said Owen. 'I must keep my secret for the present when it is
all settled you shall know.'

'It makes you blush, however,' laughed Howel.

'Is it Mary Jones, or Anne Jenkins, or Amelia Lewis, or Miss Richards,
doctor, or Jemima Thomas--or--or--perhaps it is Gladys. Ha, ha! do you
know, Howel, Owen's last is mother's Irish girl, Gladys?'

'Really?' sneered Howel. 'My mother tells me that she ran away from
Glanyravon, and report says with somebody we know of. But report was
false as usual; and she turns up again as Miss Gwynne's lady's maid.
Miss Gwynne is about as eccentric as the rest of the clique, and I wish
her joy of her bargain. The girl is a beauty, certainly, but--'

'Hush, Howel!' cried Netta; 'Owen was nearly boxing my ears about her
just now.'

'Not exactly, Netta,' said Owen, smothering rising anger, and looking
very red; 'but I won't hear a word said against her either by man or
woman. I am going to read my letter now, and you are going to get up, so
I won't stop here any longer,' and Owen left the room.

He went at once to his own bedroom, where he hastily broke open the
letter Howel had given him, and read as follows:--

'GLANYRAVON PARK, _May_----.

'SIR,--I hope you will excuse my boldness in writing to you; but
having heard that you are at Abertewey, I take the liberty of doing
so, to tell you that your leaving home has made us all very
unhappy. Oh! Mr Owen, if you would only go back and see your dear
mother and honoured father, and learn how lonely they are without
you, I think you would give up the sea, or at least remain with
them for some time. If you would write to the master, or say a few
gentle words to him, he would overlook your going to see your
sister, I am almost sure; and, indeed, it breaks my heart to know
that I was the cause of your going away so suddenly, after you had
been so long at home, and so good to your parents.

'Then, dear Mr Owen, you, who have been always so kind to me, a
poor orphan wanderer, and beggar at your father's gate, do, I pray
you, add this one favour more to the many you have done me, and
return to your parents, to take leave of them at least before you
go away. Hoping you will forgive my writing to you on this subject,
believe me to remain, Mr Owen, your obedient and grateful servant,
GLADYS O'GRADY.'

When Owen had read this letter