lady. On the 23rd of last December, Hollands, who was on his
way abroad, stopped at our station--Crossbourne station--on the road,
and left a bag and a letter for Jane in the hands of a railway porter.
In that bag was the missing bracelet, the fellow to the one your
ladyship saw in Jane's hands; and a letter was in the bag too,
explaining how John had joined Georgina in a plot to ruin Jane, because
she had reproved them for some of their evil doings."

"Dear me!" cried her ladyship, shocked and surprised; "is it possible?
But why did you not acquaint me with this at once?"

"Well, my lady, here is the strangest part of my story. The porter,
instead of bringing the bag on to us at once, left it outside a public-
house, while he went in to get a drink, and when he came out again the
bag was gone; and, though every inquiry and search was made after it, it
only turned up a few days ago."

"But the letter?" asked Lady Morville; "did the porter lose that too?"

"No; he brought it to us in a day or two, for he were afraid to bring it
at first, because he'd lost our bag."

"Still, Thomas, if you or Jane had brought that letter, it would, no
doubt, have made all plain, and quite cleared her character."

"Ah! But, my lady, the letter the porter brought said very little. I
have it here. It only says, `Dear Jane, I am sorry now for all as I've
done at you. Pray forgive me. You will find a letter all about it in
the bag, and I've put your little marked Bible and the other br---t
[that means bracelet, of course] with it into the bag. So no more at
present from yours--JH.'"

"And why didn't you bring me this letter, Thomas? I should have been
quite satisfied with it."

"Ah! My lady, it would have looked a lame sort of tale if I'd brought
this letter and said as the bag and bracelet had been lost. It would
have looked very much like a roundabout make-up sort of story, letter
and all."

"I see what you mean, Thomas; but now you say that the bag and its
contents have been found after all. Pray, tell me all about it."

"Well, it's a long story, my lady; but, if you'll have patience with me,
I'll make it as short as I can."

Bradly then proceeded to give Lady Morville the history of the manner in
which the way had been opened up little by little, and the bag found at
last. He then drew from his pocket a neatly-folded packet, and handed
it to her ladyship, who, having opened it, found the bracelet.

"Yes," she sai