changeling or at best a limb of Satan. He had more spirit and sense
than the rest of them, and they led him the life of a dog, though
they knew no better. If I had had him at Emsworth, I would have
shown them what he was;" and she sighed heavily. "Well, I did not
so much wonder when he disappeared, I made sure that he could bear
it no longer and had run away. I waited as long as there was any
reason, till there should be tidings of him, and only took his
brother at last because I found they could not do without me at
home."

Remarkable frankness! but it struck both the Doctor and Anne that if
Peregrine could have submitted, his life might have been freer and
less unhappy than he had expected, though Mrs. Martha spoke the
broadest Hampshire.

Naomi asked, "Then you no longer think that he ran away?"

"No, madam; I am certain there was worse than that. You remember
the night of the bonfire for the Bishops' acquittal, Miss Woodford?"

"Indeed I do."

"Well, he was never seen again after that, as you know. The place
was full of wild folk. There was brawling right and left."

"Were you there?" asked Anne surprised.

"Yes; in my coach with my uncle and aunt that lived with me, though,
except Robin, none of the young sparks would come near me, except
some that I knew were after my pockets," said Martha, with a good-
humoured laugh. "Properly frightened we were too by the brawling
sailors ere we got home! Now, what could be more likely than that
some of them got hold of poor Perry? You know he always would go
about with the rapier he brought from Germany, with amber set in the
hilt, and the mosaic snuff-box he got in Italy, and what could be
looked for but that the poor dear lad should be put out of the way
for the sake of these gewgaws?" This supposition was gratifying to
Anne, but her uncle must needs ask why Mrs. Oakshott thought so more
than before.

"Because," she said impressively, "there is no doubt but that he has
been seen, and not in the flesh, once and again, and always about
these ruins."

"By whom, madam, may I ask?"

"Mrs. Fellowes's maids, as she knows, saw him once on the beach at
night, just there. The sentry, who is Tom Hart, from our parish,
saw a shape at the opening of the old vault before the keep and
challenged him, when he vanished out of sight ere there was time to
present a musket. There was once more, when one moonlight night our
sexton, looking out of his cottage window,