ld be wintering there, and on
arriving a couple of hours previously and inquiring for them, he had
heard the tidings that Sir Philip Archfield was indeed there, for
his nephew was being tried for his life for the wilful murder of
Major Oakshott's son seven years ago.

"And you had none of my warnings? I wrote to all the ports," said
his father, "to warn you to wait till all this was over."

No; he had crossed from Sluys, and had met no letter. "I suppose,"
he said, "that I must not ride home to-morrow. It might make my
sureties uneasy; but I would fain see them all."

"It would kill your mother to be here," said Sir Philip. "She knows
nothing of what Anne told me on Sedley's arrest. She is grown very
feeble;" and he groaned. "But we might send for your sister, if she
can leave her, and the boy."

"I should like my boy to be fetched," said Charles. "I should wish
him to remember his father--not as a felon convicted!" Then putting
a knee to the ground before Sir Philip, he said, "Sir, I ask your
blessing and forgiveness. I never before thoroughly understood my
errors towards you, especially in hiding this miserable matter, and
leaving all this to come on you, while my poor Anne there was left
to bear all the load. It was a cowardly and selfish act, and I ask
your pardon."

The old man sobbed with his hand on his son's head. "My dear boy!
my poor boy! you were distraught."

"I was then. I did it, as I thought, for my poor Alice's sake at
first, and as it proved, it was all in vain; but at the year's end,
when I was older, it was folly and wrong. I ought to have laid all
before you, and allowed you to judge, and I sincerely repent the not
having so done. And Anne, my sweetest Anne, has borne the burthen
all this time," he added, going back to her. "Let no one say a
woman cannot keep secrets, though I ought never to have laid this on
her."

"Ah! it might have gone better for you then," sighed Sir Philip.
"No one would have visited a young lad's mischance hardly on a loyal
house in those days. What is to be done, my son?"

"That we will discuss when the lawyer fellow comes. Is it old Lee?
Meantime let us enjoy our meeting. So that is Lucy's husband.
Sober and staid, eh? And my mother is feeble, you say. Has she
been ill?"

Charles was comporting himself with the cheerfulness that had become
habitual to him as a soldier, always in possible danger, but it was
very hard to the others to chime in