ith an English merchant at Norwich,
one Mr Gournay, who has been very kind to the Huguenots; and as he has
correspondents in all parts of the country, and throughout Holland also,
and many other places on the Continent, if you will tell me your name,
and describe your wife and child, I will write to him, and I have no
doubt that he will make inquiries in that direction for you," he said.

"Thank you, thank you, my kind friend!" said the wounded man. "Your
promise gives me hopes which I dared not before entertain. My name is
De Mertens. My dear wife was tall and graceful, and noted for her
beauty, and our little girl was called Elise, or, as you would call her
in England, Elizabeth."

"This is indeed very strange!" exclaimed Jack; "for I met a lady at the
house of the very gentleman I spoke of--Mr Gournay--who told me that
her name was De Mertens, and that her husband had been carried off to
the galleys, while, I grieve to tell you, for it will pain you much to
hear it, the little girl had been snatched away from her just as she was
embarking, and since then she has been unable to gather any tidings of
her. She begged me to make inquiries, which I did as far as I was able,
but circumstances compelled me to leave the country soon afterwards, and
I was not able to gather any clue to her lost child."

"My wife still alive! and under the charge of kind friends!" exclaimed
the wounded man, sitting up. "This is indeed joyful news! though alas
that it should not be without its alloy! Yet the kind Providence which
has preserved my wife, may have preserved our child to be restored to
us. But what do I see, young man?" he exclaimed, seizing Jack's hand.
"Let me look at that ring on your finger. It is strange that it should
be there. Did my wife give it you?"

"No," replied Jack, somewhat astonished; "I did not receive it till some
time after I last saw Madame de Mertens. It was given to me by a young
girl, the daughter of a farmer and his wife, at whose house I was
residing for some time. She was a sweet, dear little girl; and when I
came away she told me that she had nothing else to give, and she
insisted on placing that ring on my finger. She said she had worn it
round her own neck since she was a child, and though she valued it
greatly, she should be unhappy if I would not take it. Directly after I
received it I purposed restoring it to her, as I did not think it right
to deprive her of it, but was unable again