’Recovering from her stupor, Mademoiselle V—–­ bethought herself again of her employer, Mrs. Newbold, whom recent events had estranged.  To that lady she went with a full heart, and explained everything.  Mrs. Newbold kept to herself her opinion of the episode, and reinstalled the deserted bride in her old position as governess to the family.

’A governess she remained to the end of her days.  After the final peace with France she became acquainted with my mother, to whom by degrees she imparted these experiences of hers.  As her hair grew white, and her features pinched, Mademoiselle V—–­ would wonder what nook of the world contained her lover, if he lived, and if by any chance she might see him again.  But when, some time in the ’twenties, death came to her, at no great age, that outline against the stars of the morning remained as the last glimpse she ever obtained of her family’s foe and her once affianced husband.’

1895.

MASTER JOHN HORSELEIGH, KNIGHT

In the earliest and mustiest volume of the Havenpool marriage registers (said the thin-faced gentleman) this entry may still be read by any one curious enough to decipher the crabbed handwriting of the date.  I took a copy of it when I was last there; and it runs thus (he had opened his pocket-book, and now read aloud the extract; afterwards handing round the book to us, wherein we saw transcribed the following)—­

Mastr John Horseleigh, Knyght, of the p’ysshe of Clyffton was maryd to Edith the wyffe late off John Stocker, m’chawnte of Havenpool the xiiij daje of December be p’vylegge gevyn by our sup’me hedd of the chyrche of Ingelonde Kynge Henry the viii th 1539.

Now, if you turn to the long and elaborate pedigree of the ancient family of the Horseleighs of Clyfton Horseleigh, you will find no mention whatever of this alliance, notwithstanding the privilege given by the Sovereign and head of the Church; the said Sir John being therein chronicled as marrying, at a date apparently earlier than the above, the daughter and heiress of Richard Phelipson, of Montislope, in Nether Wessex, a lady who outlived him, of which marriage there were issue two daughters and a son, who succeeded him in his estates.  How are we to account for these, as it would seem, contemporaneous wives?  A strange local tradition only can help us, and this can be briefly told.

One evening in the autumn of the year 1540 or 1541, a young sailor, whose Christian name was Roger, but whose surname is not known, landed at his native place of Havenpool, on the South Wessex coast, after a voyage in the Newfoundland trade, then newly sprung into existence.  He returned in the ship Primrose with a cargo of ’trayne oyle brought home from the New Founde Lande,’ to quote from the town records of the date.  During his absence of two summers and a winter, which made up the term of a Newfoundland ‘spell,’ many unlooked-for