would have been a
good hope of hunting it out; but now that it had been conveyed away to
the great metropolis, and had been carried off from the railway
terminus, further search and inquiry seemed absolutely useless. Of
course, if an honest man had accidentally got hold of it, and found out
his mistake, it was possible he might have found some clue to the
rightful owner in Hollands' letter, if he discovered that letter in the
bag; but as nearly half a year had now gone by since the loss, there was
no reason to suppose that the bag had fallen into the hands of any one
willing, or, if willing, able to restore it. If, on the other hand, a
dishonest person had got hold of it, of course the bracelet would have
been broken up, or hopelessly sold away, and the bag destroyed.

It was now the beginning of June, when one evening Bradly was sitting in
his arm-chair at home, with a shadow on his face, as he meditated on
these things. Jane, whose quick eye marked every change in her
brother's countenance, was persuaded that there was something more than
usually amiss, for the light on Bradly's habitually cheerful face to be
clouded, and gently asked the cause.

"To tell you the truth, dear Jane," he replied, "I am troubled, spite of
myself, about your matter."

"What, Thomas! Have you heard anything fresh?"

"Yes, I have; but I wasn't meaning to say anything about it at present
to you, as I wouldn't trouble you to no purpose, and I thought I'd wait
for more light."

"Oh, tell me, Thomas, tell me! What is it?"

"Why, the simple truth is that the bag's been found; and yet it's lost,
and worse lost than ever."

"O Thomas!"

"Well, Jane dear, don't fret; I'll tell you all about it." He then
proceeded to give her the full particulars of Ned Taylor's story, and of
the endeavour he had made, but without success, to trace the bag in
London. Jane listened patiently, and did not speak when her brother had
finished, but her lips moved in silent prayer.

"Thomas," she said, quietly and sadly, "it is a sore trial of faith, but
let us still trust in the Lord, and follow your favourite maxim, `Do the
next thing.'"

"The Lord bless you, dear Jane, for your patience. You're right; only I
don't clearly see what _is_ the next thing."

"Will it not be of any use to advertise?" she asked.

"I'm afraid it's too late now," he said; "but, while we trust the Lord,
we must use all the means he puts within our reach. It is possible, o