don. The booking
clerk at the station, you know, told us that."

"Did the clerk say to what part of London he booked?"

"No, he could not remember."

"Besides, if he had remembered, that would be but a slight clue," said
Mr Crossley. "As well look for a needle in a bundle of hay as for a
man in London."

"As well go to sea without rudder or compass," observed Captain Stride.

"Nevertheless," said Charlie, rising, "I will make the attempt."

"Hopeless," said Crossley. "Sheer madness," added Stride. Mrs Leather
shook her head and wept gently. Mrs Brooke sighed and cast down her
eyes. Miss Molloy--who was of the council, being by that time cognisant
of all the family secrets--clasped her hands and looked miserable. Of
all that conclave the only one who did not throw cold water on our hero
was pretty little brown-eyed May. She cast on him a look of trusting
gratitude which blew a long smouldering spark into such a flame that the
waters of Niagara in winter would have failed to quench it.

"I can't tell you yet, friends, what I intend to do," said Charlie.
"All I can say is that I'm off to London. I shall probably be away some
time, but will write to mother occasionally. So good-bye."

He said a good deal more, of course, but that was the gist of it.

May accompanied him to the door.

"Oh! thank you--_thank you_!" she said, with trembling lip and tearful
eyes as she held out her hand, "I feel _sure_ that you will find
father."

"I think I shall, May. Indeed I also feel sure that I shall--God
helping me."

At the ticket office he found that the clerk remembered very little. He
knew the old gentleman well by sight, indeed, but was in the habit of
selling tickets to so many people that it was impossible for him to
remember where they booked to. In fact the only thing that had fixed
Mr Leather at all in his memory was the fact that the old man had
dropped his ticket, had no money to take another, and had pleaded
earnestly to let him have one on trust, a request with which he dared
not comply--but fortunately, a porter found and restored the ticket.

"Is the porter you refer to still here?" asked Charlie.

Yes, he was there; and Charlie soon found him. The porter recollected
the incident perfectly, for the old gentleman, he said, had made a
considerable fuss about the lost ticket.

"And you can't remember the station he went to?"

"No, sir, but I do remember something about his saying he wanted to