Cousin Henry

nry Dream

ught to have thought of it, and not to have required to be reminded by a rebuke from the housekeeper. He could now only amend the fault for the future, and endeavour to live down the mystery which had been created. Almost as soon as Mrs Griffith had left him, he prepared to move. But then he bethought himself that he must

n also informed him that the deed had been prepared for charging the estate with four thousand pounds on behalf of his Cousin Isabel. By this he would bind himself to pay her two hundred a year for the next two years, and at the end of that period to hand over to her the entire sum. Here was an excuse provided for him to leave the house and travel as far as Carmarthen. There were the horses and the carriage with which his uncle had been accu

owner of Llanfeare found himself compelled to explain to his own m

ing-place and to have it on his person, unless he did so for the purpose of instant and public revelation, would, as he thought, be in itself a felony. There would be the doing of a deed in the very act of abstracting the document; and his safety lay in the abstaining from any deed. What if a fit should come upon him, or he should fall and hurt himself and the paper be found in his possession? Then there would at once be the intervention of the police, and the cell, and the angry voices of the crowd, and the scowling of the judge, and the quick senten

spot on the binding, which had been so far disfigured by some accident in use. This seemed to his eyes to make it marked and separate among a thousand. To him it was almost wonderful that a stain so peculiar should not at once betray

s letter, he might probably have abstained from so damning a falsehood. There would have been time then for some resolution. Had Mr Apjohn told him what it was that he was about to be called upon to perform, even then, before the necessity of performance was presented to him, there would have been a

the presence of the official, "that we still th

hat," croaked t

it in mind," said Mr Apjohn sever

understand that Llanfeare was now in truth his own;-his own, whatev

ty which was to be made on behalf of Isabel. The deeds were

Let us give him his due by declaring that, much as he hated his cousin, he did not doubt as to be

severity, "that you would have felt that under the peculiar circumstances you were bound to restore to your c

o if she will

e be guided by her father. It is not a matter requiring gratitude on her part. The money oug

ft the office. In all this there was so great an aggravation of his misery! It was only too manifest that every one suspected him of something. Here he was ready to give away,-absolutely anxious to give away out of his own pocket,-a very large sum of money to his cousin who had mi

ll this he had marked so accurately that he could not but know whether any hand had been at the shelf. He did not go near to the shelf, but could see the variation as he stood at the table. His eye had become minutely exact as to the book and its pos

letter to his cousin,

ar Is

tated that you had what might be called a right to that money, and I perfectly agreed with him. I have never doubted about the money since my uncle's will was read. The agent who r

t. It was not my fault that my uncle changed his mind backwards and forwards. I never asked him for the estate. I came to Llanfeare only because he bade me. I have taken possession of the proper

here. My uncle has made the place a nest of hornets for me, and all through no fault of my own. Should you like to come and live here

s tr

y Jo

d across his mind, and then was carried out instantly. Let her come and live there, and let her find the will herself if she pleased. If her mind was given to godly reading, this might be her reward. Such conduct would, at any rate, show them all that he was afraid of nothing. He would, he thought, if this could be arrang

wned and no hand of his be necessary for the drowning! As he sat there, feeling himself constrained to remain away from the house for a certain period, he fell asleep by degrees and dreamed. He dreamt that he was out there in a little boat all alone, with the book hidden under the seats, and that he rowed himself out to sea till he was so far distant from the shore that no ey

the young man whom he had seen swimming to him across the sea. The land he was on was a portion of old Cantor's farm, and the presence of the son need not have

Squire?" said

ousin Henry, as he lay

. Good morning, sir." Then the young man passed on, not caring to h

m from the desolation of the life which he had been leading. He went out, and, taking the road by the church, up the creek, he came at about a distance of two miles from his own house to Coed, the farmstead of John Griffit

nd the crops are doing well enough. Would you like

e gift of saying much to such persons, and was himself aware of his own deficiency. But still he had done something,-had shown that he was not afr

, sir, with those paddocks betwe

r Griffith; but

rent. The old Squire didn't like that the land he had held himself should go into

. I don't think I shall

e at Lla

t my doing, but among you all, I fear, you don't like me

and was good to the people;-and took no more than was

I ain't liked; that's the

r place, if I may b

will. It was not I who aske

not to have

ll, dividing the rents with me, or something of that kind. I have offered it to her, but I do not say that she will agree. In the meantim

said that he would go up occa