engage a wherry to carry him across to Portsmouth;
but none of the men would go, as it was blowing harder than ever, with a
nasty sea running. At last I heard him offer five guineas to anyone who
would cross. I knew by this that he must be in a desperate hurry.

"If you'll wait half an hour, sir, I'll do it," said the owner of a
large wherry, coming up to him; "we shall get across just as soon as we
should if we were to start now."

To this Mr Biddulph Stafford agreed, and I saw him go into an inn near
the beach, to get some refreshment I suppose, telling the man to call
him when he was ready. I now knew that I should have no difficulty in
ascertaining whether he had really gone, so I hastened back to the
captain, to tell him what I had discovered. He immediately wrote to
Harry, to tell him to get ready for a start, and to meet himself and me
at "The George," where we would call for him next morning, if we could
get across, on our way to Mr Pengelley's; adding, that the sooner we
could get him recognised by his mother and uncle the better, lest Mr
Biddulph Stafford should be taking steps to defeat us. The letter was
sent off by the mail-packet that night.

The captain agreed that it would be better that Susan should accompany
us, as her evidence was sure to be wanted; so, calling at our cottage on
my way back to the shore, I told her to pack up her traps and get a
woman to take care of the house during her absence. Though she didn't
like leaving home, she was willing to do anything for Harry's good, and
promised to be ready in time.

On returning to the beach I found that Mr Biddulph Stafford had just
put off from the shore, but, with the wetting and tossing he would get,
I felt pretty sure he wouldn't be ready to start till the next morning,
if even then.

I daresay Miss Fanny would rather have had Harry come back at once to
Ryde, but she was too wise to say anything about the matter. The next
morning was fine, and the captain, Susan, and I crossed to Portsmouth,
taking with us Miss Stafford's trunks, which I had had done up in
canvas, and painted in such a way that even should Mr Biddulph Stafford
get sight of them they might not be recognised by him. We found Harry
waiting for us at "The George." The ship had been paid off the previous
day, and he and Reginald were now free. The latter went back to Ryde
"to console Miss Fanny," as he said.

On making inquiries I found that Mr Biddulph Stafford was sle