roductive of health and happiness to you, Mr O'Donahue," and then
followed her mother.

Joey, who, was in no humour for conversation, then bade farewell to Mr
Small and Mr Sleek, and, before Emma had risen from not a very
refreshing night's rest, he was two stages on his way from Portsmouth.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

IN WHICH OUR HERO HAS HIS HEAD TURNED THE WRONG WAY.

Although it may be very proper, when an offence has been offered us, to
show that we feel the injury, it often happens that we act too much upon
impulse and carry measures to extremities; and this our hero felt as the
coach wheeled him along, every second increasing his distance from Emma
Phillips; twenty times he was inclined to take a postchaise and return,
but the inconsistency would have been so glaring, that shame prevented
him; so he went on until he reached the metropolis, and on arriving
there, having nothing better to do, he went to bed. The next day he
booked himself for the following day's coach to Manstone, and having so
done, he thought he would reconnoitre the domicile of Major and Mrs
McShane, and, now that Furness was no longer to be dreaded, make his
existence known to them. He went to Holborn accordingly, and found the
shop in the same place, with the usual enticing odour sent forth from
the grating which gave light and air to the kitchen; but he perceived
that there was no longer the name of McShane on the private door, and
entering the coffee-room, and looking towards the spot where Mrs
McShane usually stood carving the joint, he discovered a person
similarly employed whose face was unknown to him; in fact, it could not
be Mrs McShane, as it was a man. Our hero went up to him, and inquired
if the McShanes still carried on the business, and was told that they
had sold it some time back. His next inquiry, as to what had become of
them, produced an "I don't know," with some symptoms of impatience at
being interrupted. Under such circumstances, our hero had nothing more
to do but either to sit down and eat beef or to quit the premises. He
preferred the latter, and was once more at the hotel, where he dedicated
the remainder of the day to thinking of his old friends, as fate had
debarred him from seeing them.

The next morning Joey set off by the coach, and arrived at Manstone a
little before dusk. He remained at the principal inn of the village,
called the Austin Arms, in honour of the property in the immediate
vicinity; and, h