tened to what the group of strangers around
the little girl were talking about. To formulate any plans on the spur
of the moment, even to take in what this amazing discovery might mean to
him in his fallen fortunes, was beyond the power of Thomas's slowly
working brain. He must have time to think. He must find out how the land
lay. And meanwhile, it would not be wasting precious time if he set
himself to find out who were Estelle's protectors; where they lived;
what facilities their abode offered for approaching the child; and how
he could bring the brilliant but hazy notions now throbbing through his
head into something more than mere dreams. His only clear ideas at
present were, that the Lady Estelle de Bohun was certainly a great
heiress; that the Earl would pay any price, probably, to get her back;
and that he, Thomas, must be the important medium through whom this good
fortune must be brought about. Thomas, too, would be sure that
well-lined pockets did not fail him this time. He had had his lesson in
sharpness.

Beyond this point he had not had time to go. Nothing turned up next day
to help him, till the early stragglers appeared at the fair in the
morning. He was on the alert. He looked and found faces he had seen on
the previous night. He managed to get up a talk with one and another,
during which it was easy to learn a good deal on the subject of the
little waif. Before he saw Estelle again, he found that she lived in the
Caves of the Hospice de la Providence; he discovered that Jack was a
fisherman, and was often away in the boats, sometimes for several nights
together. At such times no one remained on guard except the old
woman--by which term he meant Mrs. Wright. He also found out that
Estelle had not been stolen. He heard the story of her loss of memory
concerning certain vital points, and of the doctor's prophecy that some
little thing would, without doubt, reveal the missing link, and restore
her powers of recollection. This he was rather sorry to hear. It would
have been better if she had remained ignorant till he had made his own
terms with her father. However, she was but a child, and could be
suppressed. He could see to that.

He saw clearly that the most difficult obstacle to the whole of his
somewhat indefinite scheme would be M. le Geant (Mr. Giant), as the
villagers smilingly called Jack. The giant was not a giant to no
purpose. He would show fight. There was absolutely no doubt about that.
He m