least," Captain Bayley said fervently. "Do not
be long, Alice; you know what I shall be feeling." He went back into his
room again, and closed the door, and Mr. Adams continued--

"'If she thinks me a rascal, give her no clue to the part of the world
where you have come across me, simply say that I wished her to know that
I am alive and well.' There, Miss Hardy, my message would have ended had
you not declared your faith in his innocence; I can now go on: 'If you
see that she still, in spite of everything, believes that I am innocent,
then tell her that I affirm on my honour and word that I am so'--Alice
gave a cry of joy--'though I see no way of proving it. Tell her that I
do not wish her to tell my uncle that she has heard of me; that I do not
wish her to say one word to him, for, much as I value his affection, I
would not for the world seem to be trying to gain the place he thinks I
have forfeited, until I can appear before him as a rich man whom nothing
could induce to touch one penny of his money, and who values only his
good-will and esteem.'

"That is all the message, Miss Hardy. But now that I see you have never
believed him guilty, I am at liberty to tell you that we met in
California, and to give you an address to which you can write at
Sacramento, and I can tell you the story of our acquaintance; but as the
story is a long one, and it is now late, I will, with your permission,
call in the morning again."

Tears were streaming down the girl's face as she lifted her head.

"Thank you, sir! oh, thank you so much! You cannot tell how happy your
message has made me--how happy it will make us all, for I am sure that
Frank will not blame me for breaking his injunction. He cannot tell the
circumstances; he does not know that my uncle has fretted as much as
myself. He evidently thinks that he believes him guilty, though why he
should do so I don't know, for at first he was just as much convinced as
I was of Frank's innocence, and it was only Frank's silence and his
going away without saying one word in defence of himself that made him
doubt him. Would you mind sitting here for a minute or two while I go in
to him? We want to hear so much, if you are not in a hurry."

"I am in no hurry," Mr. Adams said, smiling. "After travelling for two
months to deliver a message, one would not mind sitting up for a few
hours to deliver it thoroughly; and let me tell you that if my message
has made you happy, your reception of it