at which has elapsed since you appear
to have seen him, if at least I may hope that he was your guest, and
the owner of this whip; and any news you can give me of him, any clue
by which he can possibly be traced, would be to us all--to me in
particular--an inestimable obligation."

"Your father!" said Mr. Courtland. "Oh,--ay, your uncle's brother. What
was his Christian name?--Henry?"

"Geoffrey."

"Ay, exactly; Geoffrey! What, not been heard of?--his family not know
where he is? A sad thing, Sir; but he was always a wild fellow; now
here, now there, like a flash of lightning. But it is true, it is true,
he did stay a day here, several years ago, when I first bought the
place. I can tell you all about it;--but you seem agitated,--do come
nearer the window:--there, that's right. Well, Sir, it is, as I said,
a great many years ago,--perhaps fourteen,--and I was speaking to the
landlord of the Greyhound about some hay he wished to sell, when a
gentleman rode into the yard full tear, as your father always did ride,
and in getting out of his way I recognised Geoffrey Lester. I did not
know him well--far from it; but I had seen him once or twice with your
uncle, and though he was a strange pickle, he sang a good song, and was
deuced amusing. Well, Sir, I accosted him, and, for the sake of your
uncle, I asked him to dine with me, and take a bed at my new house.
Ah! I little thought what a dear bargain it was to be. He accepted my
invitation, for I fancy--no offence, Sir,--there were few
invitations that Mr. Geoffrey Lester ever refused to accept. We dined
tete-a-tete,--I am an old bachelor, Sir,--and very entertaining he was,
though his sentiments seemed to me broader than ever. He was
capital, however, about the tricks he had played his creditors,--such
manoeuvres,--such escapes! After dinner he asked me if I ever
corresponded with his brother. I told him no; that we were very good
friends, but never heard from each other; and he then said, 'Well,
I shall surprise him with a visit shortly; but in case you should
unexpectedly have any communication with him, don't mention having seen
me; for, to tell you the truth, I am just returned from India, where I
should have scraped up a little money, but that I spent it as fast as
I got it. However, you know that I was always proverbially the luckiest
fellow in the world--(and so, Sir, your father was!)--and while I was
in India, I saved an old Colonel's life at a tiger-hunt; he wen