emony. While the
introduction was going on, Pierre took Mr. Nash's horse by the bridle,
and led the procession home. There, Madame stood in the porch eagerly
waiting for news of "ce jeune homme si courageux, si benveillont," and
was delighted to hear that he was safe, and that Mr. Nash, an old
acquaintance, was with him. When the party entered the house, Wilkinson
looked at the detective, and then, with a start, said: "Why, you are
Dowling, the Dowling who came to the Sacheverell Street School, with a
peremptory letter from the trustees, to take the lower division boys,
and disappeared in ten days."

"The same, Mr. Wilkinson; I knew you as soon as I heard your voice."

"You disarranged our work pretty well for us, Mr. Dow--Nash. What were
you after there, if it is a fair question?"

"I was after the confidence of some innocent youngsters, who could give
me pointers on grindstones and their relation to the family income. As I
know you both, and our friends of the hotel are not listening, I may say
that I am so interested in this problem as to have made up my mind to go
into grindstones myself."

These remarks led to an animated triangular conversation over the
Grinstun man, in which the two pedestrians gave the detective all the
information they possessed regarding that personage. They urged that an
immediate effort should be made to hinder his acquiring the hand and
property of Miss Du Plessis, and, thereafter, that united action should
be taken to break up his injurious commerce. Mr. Nash prepared to
accompany them on their walk to church in Flanders, and asked the lawyer
if he had any objection to ride his horse part of the way, with a bundle
behind him, if he, the detective, would carry his knapsack. Coristine
consented, on condition that his new friend would also lend him his
riding gaiters. Madame produced the wherewithal to spend a social
half-hour before retiring, and, in answer to the detective, said: "Ze
sack ees in ze commode in ze chombre of M'syae." Mr. Nash laughed, and
over his glass and clay pipe, confided to his fellow-conspirators that
he had a few little properties in that bag, and was much afraid that
some of them would compel him to desecrate the Sabbath. "You are used to
my religious performances, Mr Coristine; I hope your friend, and my old
principal, Mr. Wilkinson, will not be as hard on me as you were."

Then the dominie was informed of the events of the evening, and the
parties separated fo