, Charles! my brother! I don't see him."

Anne was glad to have no time to answer before she was in her
uncle's arms. "My child, at last! God bless thee! Safe in soul
and body!"

Sir Philip was there too, greeting Mr. Fellowes, and looking for his
son, and with the cursory assurance that Mr. Archfield was well, and
that they would explain, a hasty introduction of Miss Darpent was
made, and all moved in to where Lady Archfield, more feeble and slow
of movement, had come into the hall, and the nurse stood by with the
little heir to be shown to his father, and Sedley Archfield stood in
the background. It was a cruel moment for all, when the words came
from Mr. Fellowes, "Sir, I have to tell you, Mr. Archfield is not
here. This letter, he tells me, is to explain."

There was an outburst of exclamation, during which Sir Philip
withdrew into a window with his spectacles to read the letter, while
all to which the tutor or Anne ventured to commit themselves was
that Mr. Archfield had only quitted them without notice on board the
Hampshire Hog.

The first tones of the father had a certain sound of relief, "Gone
to the Imperialist army to fight the Turks in Hungary!"

Poor Lady Archfield actually shrieked, and Lucy turned quite pale,
while Anne caught a sort of lurid flush of joy on Sedley Archfield's
features, and he was the first to exclaim, "Undutiful young dog!"

"Tut! tut!" returned Sir Philip, "he might as well have come home
first, and yet I do not know but that it is the best thing he could
do. There might have been difficulties in the way of getting out
again, you see, my lady, as things stand now. Ay! ay! you are in
the right of it, my boy. It is just as well to let things settle
themselves down here before committing himself to one side or the
other. 'Tis easy enough for an old fellow like me who has to let
nothing go but his Commission of the Peace, but not the same for a
stirring young lad; and he is altogether right as to not coming back
to idle here as a rich man. It would be the ruin of him. I am glad
he has the sense to see it. I was casting about to obtain an estate
for him to give him occupation."

"But the wars," moaned the mother; "if he had only come home we
could have persuaded him."

"The wars, my lady! Why, they will be a feather in his cap; and may
be if he had come home, the Dutchman would have claimed him for his,
and let King James be as misguided as he may, I cannot stomach
f