ation; that there was much real excuse for his conduct must,
however, be borne in mind. Whether his attempt would prevent the union
was another question: he believed that, conjoined with his personal
influence over the viscount, and the importation of Sol as a firebrand to
throw between the betrothed pair, it might do so.

About half-an-hour before sunset the two individuals, linked by their
differences, reached the point of railway at which the branch to
Sandbourne left the main line. They had taken tickets for Sandbourne,
intending to go thence to Knollsea by the steamer that plied between the
two places during the summer months--making this a short and direct
route. But it occurred to Mountclere on the way that, summer being over,
the steamer might possibly have left off running, the wind might be too
high for a small boat, and no large one might be at hand for hire:
therefore it would be safer to go by train to Anglebury, and the
remaining sixteen miles by driving over the hills, even at a great loss
of time.

Accident, however, determined otherwise. They were in the station at the
junction, inquiring of an official if the Speedwell had ceased to sail,
when a countryman who had just come up from Sandbourne stated that,
though the Speedwell had left off for the year, there was that day
another steamer at Sandbourne. This steamer would of necessity return to
Knollsea that evening, partly because several people from that place had
been on board, and also because the Knollsea folk were waiting for
groceries and draperies from London: there was not an ounce of tea or a
hundredweight of coal in the village, owing to the recent winds, which
had detained the provision parcels at Sandbourne, and kept the colliers
up-channel until the change of weather this day. To introduce
necessaries by a roundabout land journey was not easy when they had been
ordered by the other and habitual route. The boat returned at six
o'clock.

So on they went to Sandbourne, driving off to the pier directly they
reached that place, for it was getting towards night. The steamer was
there, as the man had told them, much to the relief of Sol, who, being
extremely anxious to enter Knollsea before a late hour, had known that
this was the only way in which it could be done.

Some unforeseen incident delayed the boat, and they walked up and down
the pier to wait. The prospect was gloomy enough. The wind was north-
east; the sea along shore wa