n James Walsham's behalf--and a
word from him, saying that James was the son of a medical man, and was
assuredly mixed up in this smuggling affair only by accident--he would
have been released. He had not spoken that word, and the consequence
was, he had himself fallen into bad odour with the squire, and James
Walsham, instead of drudging away as a country practitioner, was an
officer of rank equal to himself, for he, as second lieutenant in the
Sutherland, ranked with a captain in the army.

Not only this, but whenever he went to Sidmouth he had heard how James
had been mentioned in the despatches, and how much he was
distinguishing himself. Everything seemed to combine against him. He
had hated James Walsham from the day when the latter had thrashed him,
and had acted as Aggie's champion against him. He had hated him more,
when he found Aggie installed as the squire's heiress, and saw how high
James stood in her good graces, and that he had been taken up by the
squire.

He had hoped that he had gained the advantage over him, when he had
come back a naval officer, while James was still a schoolboy, and had
kept aloof from the house while he devoted himself to the young
heiress. Everything had seemed going on well with his plans, until the
very circumstance which, at the time, seemed so opportune, namely, the
pressing James as a seaman on board the Thetis, had turned out so
disastrous. The letter, in which he had suffered his exultation to
appear, had angered the squire, had set Mrs. Walsham and her friend the
ex-sergeant against him, and had deeply offended Aggie. It had, too,
enabled the squire to take instant measures for procuring James's
discharge, and had now placed the latter in a position equal to his
own.

James, on his part, did not like Richard Horton, but he felt no active
animosity against him. He had got the best of it in that first quarrel
of theirs, and, although he had certainly felt very sore and angry, at
the time Richard was staying at the Hall, and seemed to have taken his
place altogether as Aggie's friend, this feeling had long since died
away, for he knew, from the letters of Mr. Wilks, that Aggie had no
liking whatever for Richard Horton.

"You were at Sidmouth in the spring, I heard," he said. "You found my
mother looking well, I hope?"

"Yes, I was there a fortnight before we sailed," Richard said. "I think
she was looking about as usual."

For a few minutes, they talked in a stiff and