A MOMENTOUS COMMUNICATION 323 and will fight her battle as best she can. She is a woman in a thousand, and worthy of the affection and esteem of any man on earth. There is a boy, too—another Gregory Hilliard Hartley. She will he alone in the world with him, and a letter from you would be very precious to her. Probably by the same, post as you receive this our father will also get one requesting more substantial assistance, hut with that you have nothing to do. I am only asking that you will let her know there are at least two people in the world who take an interest in her and Your affectionate Brother.

There was yet another envelope, with no address upon it.

It contained two documents: one was a copy of the certificate of marriage between Gregory Hilliard Hartley and Anne Forsyth at St. Paul’s Church, Plymouth, with the names of two witnesses and the signature of the officiating minister; the other was a copy of the register of the birth at Alexandria of Gregory Hilliard, son of Gregory Hilliard Hartley and Anne, his wife. A third was a copy of the register of baptism of Gregory Hilliard Hartley, the son of Gregory Hilliard and Anne Hartley, at the Protestant Church, Alexandria.

“ I will write some day to my aunts,” Gregory said, as he replaced the letters in the envelopes. “ The others will never go ; still, I may as well keep them. So I am either grandson or nephew of an earl. I can’t say that I am dazzled by the honour. I should like to know my aunts, but as for the other two I would not go across the street to make their acquaintance.”

He carefully stowed the letters away in his portmanteau, and then lay down for a few hours’ sleep.

“ The day is breaking, master,” Zaki said, laying his hand upon Gregory’s shoulder.

All right, Zaki ! While you get the water boiling I shall run down to the river and have a bathe, and shall be ready for my cocoa in twenty minutes.”