e in the bowels of the earth. Ben and Maguffin brought him in by
force, lest in his despair he should do himself an injury, and sat him
down in an easy chair with the wished-for cider mug before him. He had
sense enough left to attach himself to the mug, and draw comfort from
its depths. Then he murmured: "Thomas Rigby, eighteen years in service,
promoted corporal for valour before the enemy, Crimean and Indian medals
and clasps, captured by a female young woman, bound and imprisoned by
the same, Attention! no, as you were!" Addressing Mr. Terry he
continued: "Sergeant Major, that woman, unless I find her, will bring my
grey hairs with sorrow to the grave."

"Come, come, now, corporal dear! shure it isn't the firsht toime a foine
lukin' owld sowljer has been captivated boy the ladies. Honoria's
blissed mother, rist her sowl in heaven, tuk me prishner wid a luk av
her broight black eyes, an', iv she wor livin', she cud do it agin."

With the morning came a thunderstorm, altogether unexpected, for
Monday's north-western breeze had promised fine and cooler weather. But
the south wind had conquered for a time, and now the two blasts were
contending in the clouds above and on the waters of the distant great
lake below. The rain fell in torrents, like hail upon the shingled roof;
the blue-forked lightning flashed viciously, followed instantaneously by
peals of thunder that rattled every casement, and made the dishes dance
on the breakfast table. The doctor had been with his patient; and as the
clergymen were about to conduct family worship, he whispered to them
that the soul might slip away during the terrors of the storm, as he had
often seen before. It was a very solemn and awful time. In vain Mrs.
Carmichael, aided by the other ladies, sought to make her daughter rest
or even partake of food. How could she? The storm outside was nothing to
that which raged in her own breast, calm as was her outward demeanour.
Marjorie crouched on the mat outside the bed-room door, and quietly
sobbed herself to sleep amid the crash of the elements. But, when
another sad dinner was over, the colonel and Mr. Terry bethought them of
asking the detective if he knew of the inner lake on the shore of which
Tillycot stood. He did not, but saw the importance of searching there.
As the last of the rain had ceased, he proposed to explore it, but told
the Squire, with whom he communicated, that the skiff his informants had
mentioned was not at the pla