of the world, in spite of all that I have suffered at your hands."

"I could not come back to England sooner than this," the young man said
presently. "I had a hard battle to fight out yonder."

There had been very little appearance of emotion upon either side so far.
Percival Nowell took things as coolly as it was his habit to take
everything, while his father carefully concealed whatever deeper feeling
might be stirred in the depths of his heart by this unexpected return.

"You do not ask any questions about the fate of your only child," the
old man said, by-and-by.

"My dear father, that is of course a subject of lively interest to me;
but I did not suppose that you could be in a position to give me any
information upon that point."

"I do happen to know something about your daughter, but not much."

Jacob Nowell went on to tell his son all that he had heard from Gilbert
Fenton respecting Marian's marriage. Of his own advertisements, and
wasted endeavours to find her, he said nothing.

"And this fellow whom she has jilted is pretty well off, I suppose?"
Percival said thoughtfully.

"He is an Australian merchant, and, I should imagine, in prosperous
circumstances."

"Foolish girl! And this Holbrook is no doubt an adventurer, or he would