e was quite sure that she could
make no immediate reply to that question, whether she was afraid of a long
engagement. "I must answer Lord Bracy's letter, you know," said the
Doctor.

"Yes, papa."

"And what shall I say to him?"

"I don't know, papa."

"And yet you must tell me what to say, my darling."

"Must I, papa?"

"Certainly! Who else can tell me? But I will not answer it to-day. I
will put it off till Monday." It was Saturday morning on which the letter
was being discussed,--a day of which a considerable portion was generally
appropriated to the preparation of a sermon. "In the mean time you had
better talk to mamma; and on Monday we will settle what is to be said to
Lord Bracy."

CHAPTER IX.

AT CHICAGO.

MR. PEACOCKE went on alone to San Francisco from the Ogden Junction, and
there obtained full information on the matter which had brought him upon
this long and disagreeable journey. He had no difficulty in obtaining the
evidence which he required. He had not been twenty-four hours in the
place before he was, in truth, standing on the stone which had been placed
over the body of Ferdinand Lefroy, as he had declared to Robert Lefroy
that he would stand before he would be satisfied. On the stone was cut
simply the names, Ferdinand Lefroy of Kilbrack, Louisiana; and to these
were added the dates of the days on which the man had been born and on
which he died. Of this stone he had a photograph made, of which he took
copies with him; and he obtained also from the minister who had buried the
body and from the custodian who had charge of the cemetery certificates of
the interment. Armed with these he could no longer doubt himself, or
suppose that others would doubt, that Ferdinand Lefroy was dead.

Having thus perfected his object, and feeling but little interest in a
town to which he had been brought by such painful circumstances, he turned
round, and on the second day after his arrival, again started for Chicago.
Had it been possible, he would fain have avoided any further meeting with
Robert Lefroy. Short as had been his stay at San Francisco he had learnt
that Robert, after his brother's death, had been concerned in buying
mining shares and paying for them with forged notes. It was not supposed
that he himself had been engaged in the forgery, but that he had come into
the city with men who had been employed for years on this operation, and
had bought shares and endeavoured to sell the