ote, "my judgment has turned out to be
sounder than yours. That hateful old man has confirmed my worst opinion
of him. Pray have him punished. Take him before a magistrate and charge
him with cheating you out of your money. I inclose the sealed letter
which he gave me at the farmhouse. The week's time before I was to
open it expired yesterday. Was there ever anything so impudent and so
inhuman? I am too vexed and angry about the money you have wasted on
this old wretch to write more. Yours, gratefully and affectionately,
Isabel."

The letter in which Old Sharon had undertaken (by way of pacifying
Isabel) to write the name of the thief, contained these lines:

"You are a charming girl, my dear; but you still want one thing to make
you perfect--and that is a lesson in patience. I am proud and happy
to teach you. The name of the thief remains, for the present, Mr. ----
(Blank)."

From Moody's point of view, there was but one thing to be said of this:
it was just like Old Sharon! Isabel's letter was of infinitely greater
interest to him. He feasted his eyes on the words above the signature:
she signed herself, "Yours gratefully and affectionately." Did the
last words mean that she was really beginning to be fond of him? After
kissing the word, he wrote a comforting letter to her, in which he
pledged himself to keep a watchful eye on Sharon, and to trust him with
no more money until he had honestly earned it first.

A week passed. Moody (longing to see Isabel) still waited in vain for
news from France. He had just decided to delay his visit to South Morden
no longer, when the errand-boy employed by Sharon brought him this
message: "The old 'un's at home, and waitin' to see yer."

CHAPTER XVIII.

SHARON'S news was not of an encouraging character. He had met with
serious difficulties, and had spent the last farthing of Moody's money
in attempting to overcome them.

One discovery of importance he had certainly made. A horse withdrawn
from the sale was the only horse that had met with Hardyman's approval.
He had secured the animal at the high reserved price of twelve thousand
francs--being four hundred and eighty pounds in English money; and he
had paid with an English bank-note. The seller (a French horse-dealer
resident in Brussels) had returned to Belgium immediately on completing
the negotiations. Sharon had ascertained his address, and had written to
him at Brussels, inclosing the number of the lost banknote.