"What oath?" asked Leonard.

"This; that we will leave England and seek fortune in some foreign
land--sufficient fortune to enable us to repurchase our lost home; that
we will never return here until we have won this fortune; and that death
alone shall put a stop to our quest."

Leonard hesitated a moment, then answered:

"If Jane fails me, I will swear it."

Tom glanced round as though in search of some familiar object, and
presently his eye fell upon what he sought. A great proportion of the
furniture of the old house, including the family portraits, had been
purchased by the in-coming owner. Among the articles which remained was
a very valuable and ancient bible, one of the first ever printed indeed,
that stood upon an oaken stand in the centre of the hall, to which it
was securely chained. Tom led the way to this bible, followed by his
brother. Then they placed their hands upon it, and standing there in the
shadow, the elder of them spoke aloud in a voice that left no doubt of
the earnestness of his purpose, or of his belief in their mission.

"We swear," he said, "upon this book and before the God who made us that
we will leave this home that was ours, and never look upon it again till
we can call it ours once more. We swear that we will follow this, the
purpose of our lives, till death destroys us and it; and may shame and
utter ruin overtake us if, while we have strength and reason, we turn
our backs upon this oath! So help us God!"