The same night Old Sharon started for France, by way of Dover and Calais.

Two days elapsed, and brought no news from Moody’s agent.  On the third day, he received some information relating to Sharon—­not from the man himself, but in a letter from Isabel Miller.

“For once, dear Robert,” she wrote, “my judgment has turned out to be sounder than yours.  That hateful old man has confirmed my worst opinion of him.  Pray have him punished.  Take him before a magistrate and charge him with cheating you out of your money.  I inclose the sealed letter which he gave me at the farmhouse.  The week’s time before I was to open it expired yesterday.  Was there ever anything so impudent and so inhuman?  I am too vexed and angry about the money you have wasted on this old wretch to write more.  Yours, gratefully and affectionately, Isabel.”

The letter in which Old Sharon had undertaken (by way of pacifying Isabel) to write the name of the thief, contained these lines: 

“You are a charming girl, my dear; but you still want one thing to make you perfect—­and that is a lesson in patience.  I am proud and happy to teach you.  The name of the thief remains, for the present, Mr. ——­ (Blank).”

From Moody’s point of view, there was but one thing to be said of this:  it was just like Old Sharon!  Isabel’s letter was of infinitely greater interest to him.  He feasted his eyes on the words above the signature:  she signed herself, “Yours gratefully and affectionately.”  Did the last words mean that she was really beginning to be fond of him?  After kissing the word, he wrote a comforting letter to her, in which he pledged himself to keep a watchful eye on Sharon, and to trust him with no more money until he had honestly earned it first.

A week passed.  Moody (longing to see Isabel) still waited in vain for news from France.  He had just decided to delay his visit to South Morden no longer, when the errand-boy employed by Sharon brought him this message:  “The old ‘un’s at home, and waitin’ to see yer.”

CHAPTER XVIII.

SHARON’S news was not of an encouraging character.  He had met with serious difficulties, and had spent the last farthing of Moody’s money in attempting to overcome them.

One discovery of importance he had certainly made.  A horse withdrawn from the sale was the only horse that had met with Hardyman’s approval.  He had secured the animal at the high reserved price of twelve thousand francs—­being four hundred and eighty pounds in English money; and he had paid with an English bank-note.  The seller (a French horse-dealer resident in Brussels) had returned to Belgium immediately on completing the negotiations.  Sharon had ascertained his address, and had written to him at Brussels, inclosing the number of the lost banknote.  In two days he had received an answer, informing him that the horse-dealer had been called