ne, the wild, haunted look had passed away from his
eyes, while his actions were those of a refined gentleman.

On arriving at Hayle we, after much delay and difficulty, obtained
horses, and rode rapidly toward Mullion, my heart sometimes beating high
with hope, and at others lying in my bosom as though all joy were gone;
for be it known the revelations of the last few hours had made
everything appear in a new light. If this man was Naomi's father, and,
as I said, I believed he was, I could no longer assume the position of
her guardian and protector. She would no longer look to me as her sole
helper and friend. Her father would claim to be first. This led to many
other surmises, not many of which were pleasant, and which made me
ofttimes gloomy and dejected.

But these were not the matters concerning which I troubled the most. I
worried about the words of Israel Barnicoat. What did he mean by saying
that Naomi was where I should never be able to get her?

I had had but little sleep for many hours, but I felt no weariness. My
strength seemed to increase with my difficulties, and I did not once
droop in my saddle or rub my eyes like a drowsy man. It must have been
near a twenty miles' ride from Hayle to Mullion, but we were not long in
covering it; indeed, after we had reached Helston, we rode as fast as
the horses could carry us.

On coming in sight of Mrs. Crantock's house I left my companions, so
eager was I, and thus reached the white house with a green porch some
minutes before they came up. Opening the door without knocking I
entered, and found Mrs. Crantock, looking pale and anxious, but I could
nowhere see Naomi.

"Thank God you have come!" cried the woman.

"Why? Where is she?" I asked.

"She's gone, I know not where."

"How is that?" I cried angrily. "You promised you would care for her,
that you would guard her as if she were your own child."

"Yes, yes. Oh, young man, it is wrong to trust to an arm of flesh."

"Look you," I cried, catching her roughly by the arm, "I want no
religious talk! I left a lonesome, helpless maid with you whom you
promised to protect. Where is she now?" I said this like one demented,
as, indeed, I was.

I heard Eli and Naomi's father enter the room, but I took no heed,
neither did I listen carefully to the story the woman told. I had some
vague remembrance about her saying she went to hear Mr. Charles Wesley,
leaving Naomi with Tamsin, and that on her return that morning