are say I
shall never try the thing myself, and therefore it's very easy to
have a theory. But I must be off. Good night, old fellow. I'll do the
best I can; and, at any rate, I'll let you know the truth."

There had been a question during the day as to whether Stanbury
should let his sister know by letter that he was expected; but it had
been decided that he should appear at Nuncombe without any previous
notification of his arrival. Trevelyan had thought that this was very
necessary, and when Stanbury had urged that such a measure seemed
to imply suspicion, he had declared that in no other way could the
truth be obtained. He, Trevelyan, simply wanted to know the facts
as they were occurring. It was a fact that Colonel Osborne was down
in the neighbourhood of Nuncombe Putney. That, at least, had been
ascertained. It might very possibly be the case that he would be
refused admittance to the Clock House,--that all the ladies there
would combine to keep him out. But,--so Trevelyan urged,--the truth
on this point was desired. It was essentially necessary to his
happiness that he should know what was being done.

"Your mother and sister," said he, "cannot be afraid of your coming
suddenly among them."

Stanbury, so urged, had found it necessary to yield, but yet he had
felt that he himself was almost acting like a detective policeman, in
purposely falling down upon them without a word of announcement. Had
chance circumstances made it necessary that he should go in such a
manner he would have thought nothing of it. It would simply have been
a pleasant joke to him.

As he went down by the train on the following day, he almost felt
ashamed of the part which he had been called upon to perform.

CHAPTER XX.

SHEWING HOW COLONEL OSBORNE WENT TO COCKCHAFFINGTON.

Together with Miss Stanbury's first letter to her sister-in-law a
letter had also been delivered to Mrs. Trevelyan. Nora Rowley, as her
sister had left the room with this in her hand, had expressed her
opinion that it had come from Trevelyan; but it had in truth been
written by Colonel Osborne. And when that second letter from Miss
Stanbury had been received at the Clock House,--that in which she in
plain terms begged pardon for the accusation conveyed in her first
letter,--Colonel Osborne had started on his deceitful little journey
to Cockchaffington, and Mr. Bozzle, the ex-policeman who had him in
hand, had already asked his way to Nuncombe Putney.

Wh