He raised his tall hat.  His brown eye twinkled, his green eye twinkled, his curly lips smiled sweetly.  In a moment he turned on his heel.  His youthful back appeared to the best advantage; his active little legs took him away trippingly in the direction of the village.  One, two, three—­and he reached the turn in the road.  Four, five, six—­and he was gone.

Miss Garth looked down at the card in her hand, and looked up again in blank astonishment.  The name and address of the clerical-looking stranger (both written in pencil) ran as follows: 

Captain Wragge.  Post-office, Bristol.

CHAPTER III.

When she returned to the house, Miss Garth made no attempt to conceal her unfavorable opinion of the stranger in black.  His object was, no doubt, to obtain pecuniary assistance from Mrs. Vanstone.  What the nature of his claim on her might be seemed less intelligible—­unless it was the claim of a poor relation.  Had Mrs. Vanstone ever mentioned, in the presence of her daughters, the name of Captain Wragge?  Neither of them recollected to have heard it before.  Had Mrs. Vanstone ever referred to any poor relations who were dependent on her?  On the contrary she had mentioned of late years that she doubted having any relations at all who were still living.  And yet Captain Wragge had plainly declared that the name on his card would recall “a family matter” to Mrs. Vanstone’s memory.  What did it mean?  A false statement, on the stranger’s part, without any intelligible reason for making it?  Or a second mystery, following close on the heels of the mysterious journey to London?

All the probabilities seemed to point to some hidden connection between the “family affairs” which had taken Mr. and Mrs. Vanstone so suddenly from home and the “family matter” associated with the name of Captain Wragge.  Miss Garth’s doubts thronged back irresistibly on her mind as she sealed her letter to Mrs. Vanstone, with the captain’s card added by way of inclosure.

By return of post the answer arrived.

Always the earliest riser among the ladies of the house, Miss Garth was alo ne in the breakfast-room when the letter was brought in.  Her first glance at its contents convinced her of the necessity of reading it carefully through in retirement, before any embarrassing questions could be put to her.  Leaving a message with the servant requesting Norah to make the tea that morning, she went upstairs at once to the solitude and security of her own room.

Mrs. Vanstone’s letter extended to some length.  The first part of it referred to Captain Wragge, and entered unreservedly into all necessary explanations relating to the man himself and to the motive which had brought him to Combe-Raven.