could not be seen by the few people standing near; and as the mayor
continued till the wagon started speaking cheerfully, and giving
them all sorts of injunctions as to taking care of themselves on
the way, he flattered himself that no one would have an idea that
the departure was anything but an amicable one.

A week later a letter arrived for Dame Anthony and the mayor at
once recognized the handwriting of Jack Stilwell. He took it up to
his room, and had a considerable debate with himself as to whether
he would open it or not. The question was, What did the boy say?
If he wrote full of bitter complaints as to his treatment, the
receipt of the letter by his wife would only make matters worse,
and in that case it would be better to destroy the letter as well
as any others which might follow it, and so put an end to all
communication, for it was unlikely that the boy would ever return
to England.

Accordingly he opened the letter, and after reading it through, laid
it down with a feeling of something like relief. It was written in a
cheerful spirit. Jack began by saying that he feared Dame Anthony
and Alice would have been anxious when they heard that he was
missing from his lodgings.

"I have no doubt, my dear cousin, you will have guessed what has
befallen me, seeing that so many have been taken away in the same
way. I don't think that my late master acted handsomely in thus
getting rid of me; for, as the list was made up by him, it was of
course his doing. But you will please tell him from me that I feel
no grudge against him. In the first place, he did not know I was
going away to sea, and it must naturally have angered him to see