iscovered that, shortly after the arrival of the Royal Horse Artillery
at Markton Barracks, he gave up his room at the inn at Sleeping-Green
and took permanent lodgings over a broker's shop in the town
above-mentioned. The peculiarity of the rooms was that they commanded
a view lengthwise of the barrack lane along which any soldier, in the
natural course of things, would pass either to enter the town, to call
at Myrtle Villa, or to go to Stancy Castle.

Dare seemed to act as if there were plenty of time for his business.
Some few days had slipped by when, perceiving Captain De Stancy walk
past his window and into the town, Dare took his hat and cane, and
followed in the same direction. When he was about fifty yards short of
Myrtle Villa on the other side of the town he saw De Stancy enter its
gate.

Dare mounted a stile beside the highway and patiently waited. In about
twenty minutes De Stancy came out again and turned back in the direction
of the town, till Dare was revealed to him on his left hand. When De
Stancy recognized the youth he was visibly agitated, though apparently
not surprised. Standing still a moment he dropped his glance upon the
ground, and then came forward to Dare, who having alighted from the
stile stood before the captain with a smile.

'My dear lad!' said De Stancy, much moved by recollections. He held
Dare's hand for a moment in both his own, and turned askance.

'You are not astonished,' said Dare, still retaining his smile, as if to
his mind there were something comic in the situation.

'I knew you were somewhere near. Where do you come from?'

'From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it, as
Satan said to his Maker.--Southampton last, in common speech.'

'Have you come here to see me?'

'Entirely. I divined that your next quarters would be Markton, the
previous batteries that were at your station having come on here. I have
wanted to see you badly.'

'You have?'

'I am rather out of cash. I have been knocking about a good deal since
you last heard from me.'

'I will do what I can again.'

'Thanks, captain.'

'But, Willy, I am afraid it will not be much at present. You know I am
as poor as a mouse.'

'But such as it is, could you write a cheque for it now?'

'I will send it to you from the barracks.'

'I have a better plan. By getting over this stile we could go round
at the back of the villas to Sleeping-Green Church. There is always a
pen-and-ink in