says he shall cut short his stay, and go again."

The conversation turned upon fishing, and in the heat of the argument,
the stranger mentioned a certain pond and its famous eels--the "Low
Pond." Mr. Carlyle looked at him, speaking, however in a careless
manner.

"Which do you mean? We have two ponds not far apart, each called the
'Low Pond'"

"I mean the one on an estate about three miles form here--Squire
Thorpe's, unless I am mistaken."

Mr. Carlyle smiled. "I think you must have been in the neighborhood
before, Captain Thorn. Squire Thorpe is dead and the property has passed
to his daughter's husband, and that Low Pond was filled up three years
ago."

"I have heard a friend mention it," was Captain Thorn's reply, spoken
in an indifferent tone, though he evidently wished not to pursue the
subject.

Mr. Carlyle, by easy degrees, turned the conversation upon Swainson, the
place where Richard Hare's Captain Thorn was suspected to have come.
The present Captain Thorn said he knew it "a little," he had once been
"staying there a short time." Mr. Carlyle became nearly convinced that
Barbara's suspicions were correct. The description certainly agreed, so
far as he could judge, in the most minute particulars. The man before
him wore two rings, a diamond--and a very beautiful diamond too--on the
one hand; a seal ring on the other; his hands were delicate to a degree,
and his handkerchief, a cambric one of unusually fine texture, was not
entirely guiltless of scent. Mr. Carlyle quitted the room for a moment
and summoned Joyce to him.

"My lady has been asking for you," said Joyce.

"Tell her I will be up the moment these gentlemen leave, Joyce," he
added, "find an excuse to come into the room presently; you can bring
something or other in; I want you to look at this stranger who is
with young Mr. Herbert. Notice him well; I fancy you may have seen him
before."

Mr. Carlyle returned to the room, leaving Joyce surprised. However, she
presently followed, taking in some water, and lingered a few minutes,
apparently placing the things on the table in better order.

When the two departed Mr. Carlyle called Joyce, before proceeding to his
wife's room. "Well," he questioned, "did you recognize him?"

"Not at all, sir. He seemed quite strange to me."

"Cast your thoughts back, Joyce. Did you never see him in days gone by?"

Joyce looked puzzled, and she replied in the negative.

"Is he the man, think you, who used to