her passage out to the North American station. Shestruck on an iceberg, and soon afterwards foundered, eight persons onlyin one of her boats being saved, out of the whole ship's company,including one lieutenant and a midshipman. Captain Everard and the restof the officers and ship's company met a watery grave." [The names ofthe survivors were then mentioned.] "The boat reached Halifax, those inher having suffered fearful hardships, and they have now been broughthome in the `Tribune.'" The old soldier let the paper sink down by hisside.
"The captain gone!" he murmured, in a low voice--"the captain gone, andno one to stand by Miss Mabel; and that poor lad, too, on whom she hadset her young heart. He lost! Oh, it will break it, it will break it."
Paul's courage failed him when he had to tell the two ladies of theirgrievous bereavement.
While still trying to bring his mind to consider what he should do, hesaw a person approaching the house by the avenue. He clutched his stickand threw up his head. It might be Mr. Sleech or one of his myrmidons.He would do battle with them to the death, at all events. The strangerapproached; Paul kept eyeing him. His scrutiny was more satisfactorythan he had expected.
"He does not look like one of Mr. Sleech's villains," he said tohimself.
The stranger came close up, without hesitation, to Paul, whose aspectwas, however, somewhat threatening.
"I think I know you, my friend," said the stranger, with a kindexpression, though his look was sad. "I have come to inquire about ayoung man in whom I am deeply interested. I find that he was here sometime back. I have been enabled to trace him. I speak of Harry Tryon.Do you know anything of him?"
"If you will tell me who you are, sir, it may be I will answer thatquestion," said Paul.
"I am Roger Kyffin, Harry Tryon's guardian. Will that satisfy you, myfriend?" was the answer.
"Ah, that it will, sir," answered Paul, in a tone of sadness whichstruck Mr. Kyffin.
"Can you give me any account of the lad?" asked Mr. Kyffin, in ananxious voice.
"He went and entered aboard the `Brilliant,' and now he's gone, sir;gone!" answered Paul. "He and the captain both together. They lie manyfathom deep in the cold ocean out there. I have been over the spot.There, sir, read what is writ there; that tells all about it." And theold soldier handed Mr. Kyffin the newspaper.
Roger Kyffin read it with moistened eyes, and a choking sensation camein his throat.
"It is too true, I am afraid. The account is fearfully circumstantial!"he ejaculated, as he read on, searching about for any further notice ofthe event.
"But are you certain my dear boy was on board the `Brilliant'? Whatevidence have you?"
"Certain sure, sir," answered Paul. "Our Mary, who was going to marryJacob Tuttle, saw him just as the ship was sailing, and our Miss Mabelknows all about it. She knew he was with the captain. Poor dear younglady! it will break her heart, and Mary's, too, and Madam Everard's,too, and mine if it was not too tough. I wish that I had receivedmarching orders with the colonel not to see this day; and yet it is asoldier's duty to stand fast at his post, and that's what the coloneltold me to do, and that's what, please God, I will do, and look afterthese poor ladies, and little Mary, too, and widow Tuttle: they will allwant help. Oh, sir! when a battle's fought or a ship goes down with allher crew it's those on shore feel it. I used not to think about thatwhen I was fighting, but now I know how poor women feel, and childrenleft at home."
"Rightly spoken, my friend," said Roger Kyffin, grasping Paul's hand."You feel for the fatherless and widow. It is a right feeling; it's adivine feeling; it's as our Father in heaven feels. Have all my hopescome to this?--thus early cut off, my boy, my Harry! Let me look atthat paper again. I must try and see the people who are mentioned here.They may tell us how it happened. Might they, notwithstanding thisaccount, by some means have escaped?"
"I know what it is to be on board a foundering ship in the midst of thestormy ocean, darkness around, strong men crying out for fear of death,the boats swamped alongside. Words of command scarcely heard, or ifheard not attended to, and then, when the ship goes down, down, too, goall things floating round her. No, sir, no, I cannot hope, and that'sthe fact of it."
"Have you told the ladies?" asked Mr. Kyffin. "It will be a fearfulthing breaking the matter to them."
"I have not, sir, and I would as lief have my head blown off at thecannon's mouth," answered Paul; "but it must be done, and what we haveto do is to consider the best way of breaking it to them. Never flinchfrom what must be done; that's what the colonel always said."
Roger Kyffin at first thought of requesting Dr. Jessop to communicatethe sad intelligence; but he was afraid lest in the meantime it might ina more abrupt manner reach the ears of Miss Everard and her aunt. Hedetermined, therefore, to introduce himself, and in the presence of Paulto mention the account he had seen in the papers, expressing at the sametime a hope which he himself could not help entertaining, that those inwhom they were most interested might have escaped.
While Roger Kyffin and Paul were still discussing the matter, a carriagerapidly approached the house. Three persons got out of it. One of themstarted with a look of astonishment when he saw Mr. Kyffin. It wasSilas Sleech. He, however, quickly recovered his self-possession.
"Sad news this, sir, the death of our relative the captain," he said;"it's what sailors are liable to, though. Allow me to introduce myfather, Mr. Tony Sleech--Mr. Roger Kyffin. Although fortune may smileon me, I don't purpose yet deserting business and Idol Lane. `Businessis business,' as you've often observed, Mr. Kyffin, and I love it foritself."
"I really don't understand what you mean," said Mr. Kyffin. "How canCaptain Everard's death affect you?"
"Ah! I see you are not acquainted with the state of the case," said Mr.Silas. "We won't trouble you with it. My father and I have come tocondole with the ladies who are now staying here, on their bereavement,and to tell them that we, who are heirs-at-law, beg that they will nottrouble themselves to move for the next two or three days. After that,you see, it would be very inconvenient for us to be kept out of theproperty."
Silas evidently said this more for Paul Gauntlett's information than forMr. Kyffin's, though his eye dared not meet that of the old soldier.Paul clutched the stick which seldom left his grasp. The moment foraction had arrived. In another instant the Mr. Sleeches--father andson--would have felt its force, had not a third person, who had got outof the carriage, stepped forward. He had from the first kept his eyeupon Paul, and now saw by the movement of his hand that he meditatedmischief.
"I am an officer of the law, and have been brought to see that the lawis respected," he said, stepping up to Paul. "You had better not usethat stick, that's all. Mr. Sleech has sworn that he expects forciblyto be, kept out of this property, which is legally his; therefore letany one at his peril attempt to interfere with his proceedings."
"He never swore a truer word in his life," exclaimed Paul, clutching hisstick. "I care for the law, and I respect the law, but I don't respectsuch sneaking scoundrels as you and he," exclaimed the old soldier,lifting his stick with a savage look.
Silas sprang down the steps, knocking over his father in his descent.
The constable eyed the old soldier. Though his locks were grey, helooked like no mean antagonist. The man seemed doubtful whether itwould be wise to attack him.
"I call all here to witness that I have been assaulted in the executionof my duty by this man, the attendant of the late Colonel Everard," hesaid, as he also retreated more slowly down the steps.
"Do you intend to prevent the rightful owners from taking possession ofthis their rightful property?" he exclaimed, from a safe position at thebottom of the steps, at the top of which stood Paul, still flourishinghis stick.
"The rightful owners have got the property, and the rightful owners willkeep it," answered Paul.
The Mr. Sleeches and their companion on this retired to a distance, toconsult apparently what steps they would next take.
"You must not attempt to impede the officer in the execution of hisduty, my friend," said Mr. Kyffin, "you will gain nothing by so doing."
"I don't expect to gain anything," answered Paul. "I am only obeyingthe colonel's orders in keeping the house against all intruders. Ifthese people aren't intruders, I don't know who are."
"If they have the law with them we must not interfere," again repeatedMr. Kyffin. "I am anxious to break the sad news to the ladies beforethese men do so abruptly. I should have thought better of Silas Sleech;but I suppose he has been urged
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