ked him because of a certain ferocity which
seemed to characterise his face. He wore no beard beyond a heavy
black moustache, which quite covered his upper lip. His nose was long
and straight, his mouth large, and his chin square. No doubt he was
a handsome man. And he looked to be a tall man, though in truth he
lacked two full inches of the normal six feet. He was broad across
the chest, strong on his legs, and was altogether such a man to look
at that few would care to quarrel with him, and many would think that
he was disposed to quarrel. Of his nature he was not quarrelsome; but
he was a man who certainly had received much injury. It need not be
explained at length how his money affairs had gone wrong with him. He
should have inherited, and, indeed, did inherit, a fortune from his
mother's family, of which his father had contrived absolutely to rob
him. It was only within the last month that he had discovered that
his father had succeeded in laying his hands on certainly the bulk of
his money, and it might be upon all. Words between them had been very
bitter. The father, with a cigar between his teeth, had told his son
that this was the fortune of war, that if justice had been done him
at his marriage, the money would have been his own, and that by G----
he was very sorry, and couldn't say anything more. The son had called
the father a liar and a swindler,--as, indeed, was the truth, though
the son was doubtless wrong to say so to the author of his being. The
father had threatened the son with his horsewhip; and so they had
parted, within ten days of Walter Marrable's return from India.

Walter had written to his two uncles, asking their advice as to
saving the wreck, if anything might be saved. Sir Gregory had written
back to say that he was an old man, that he was greatly grieved at
the misunderstanding, and that Messrs. Block and Curling were the
family lawyers. Parson John invited his nephew to come down to Loring
Lowtown. Captain Marrable went to Block and Curling, who were by no
means consolatory, and accepted his uncle's invitation.

It was but three days after the first meeting between the two
cousins, that they were to be seen one evening walking together along
the banks of the Lurwell, a little river which at Loring sometimes
takes the appearance of a canal, and sometimes of a natural stream.
But it is commercial, having connection with the Kennet and Avon
navigation; and long, slow, ponderous barges, wit