re--O, so
genteel! I am not rich; I am, in short, a poor lady of decayed family,
who has nothing to boast of but my blood and ancestors, and they won't
find a body in food and clothing!--I hold the world but as the world,
Derrimanio--a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad
one!' She dropped her eyes thoughtfully and sighed.

'We will talk of this,' said Festus, much affected. 'Let us walk to the
Look-out.'

She made no objection, and said, as they turned that way, 'Mr. Derriman,
a long time ago I found something belonging to you; but I have never yet
remembered to return it.' And she drew from her bosom the paper which
Anne had dropped in the meadow when eluding the grasp of Festus on that
summer day.

'Zounds, I smell fresh meat!' cried Festus when he had looked it over.
''Tis in my uncle's writing, and 'tis what I heard him singing on the day
the French didn't come, and afterwards saw him marking in the road. 'Tis
something he's got hid away. Give me the paper, there's a dear; 'tis
worth sterling gold!'

'Halves, then?' said Matilda tenderly.

'Gad, yes--anything!' replied Festus, blazing into a smile, for she had
looked up in her best new manner at the possibility that he might be
worth the winning. They went up the steps to the summit of the cliff,
and dwindled over it against the sky.

XXXVII. REACTION

There was no letter from Bob, though December had passed, and the new
year was two weeks old. His movements were, however, pretty accurately
registered in the papers, which John still brought, but which Anne no
longer read. During the second week in December the Victory sailed for
Sheerness, and on the 9th of the following January the public funeral of
Lord Nelson took place in St. Paul's.

Then there came a meagre line addressed to the family in general. Bob's
new Portsmouth attachment was not mentioned, but he told them he had been
one of the eight-and-forty seamen who walked two-and-two in the funeral
procession, and that Captain Hardy had borne the banner of emblems on the
same occasion. The crew was soon to be paid off at Chatham, when he
thought of returning to Portsmouth for a few days to see a valued friend.
After that he should come home.

But the spring advanced without bringing him, and John watched Anne
Garland's desolation with augmenting desire to do something towards
consoling her. The old feelings, so religiously held in check, were
stimulated to rebe