finished, I threw myself upon the sofa in despair, and wished, at the moment, that I had never been born.  Still hope again rose uppermost, and I would have given all I possessed to have been able to break open the seals of that packet, and have read the contents.  At one moment I was so frantic, that I was debating whether I should not take them from Mr Cophagus by force, and run off with them.  At last I rose, and commenced reading the letters which I had put aside, but there was nothing in them but the trifling communications of two young women, who mentioned what was amusing to them, but uninteresting to those who were not acquainted with the parties.

When we had finished, Mr Cophagus collected all together, and putting them into a box, we returned in a coach to the hotel.  The next day Mr Cophagus had completed all his arrangements, and the day following had determined to return to England.  I walked with him down to the vessel, and watched it for an hour after it had sailed, for it bore away a packet of papers, which I could not help imagining were to discover the secret which I was so eager in pursuit of.  A night’s sleep made me more rational, and I now resolved to ascertain where Sir Henry de Clare, or Melchior, as I felt certain he must be, was to be found.  I sent for the waiter, and asked him if he could inform me.  He immediately replied in the affirmative, and gave his address, Mount Castle, Connemara, asking me when I intended to set out.  It did not strike me till afterwards, that it was singular that he should be so well acquainted with the address, and that he should have produced a card with it written upon it; or, moreover, that he should know that it was my intention to go there.  I took the address, and desired that I might have horses ready very early the next morning.  I then sat down and wrote a letter to Harcourt, informing him of my proceedings, also one to Mr Masterton much more explicit, lastly to Timothy, to the care of Harcourt, requesting him to let me know what had occurred between him and the gipsies.  After dinner, I packed up ready for my journey, and having settled my bill, I was not sorry to retire to my bed.

At daylight I was, as I requested, called by the waiter, and taking with me only a very small portmanteau, having left the rest of my effects in the charge of the people who kept the hotel, I set off in a post-chaise on my expedition.  I was soon clear of the city, and on a fine smooth road, and, as I threw myself back in the corner of the chaise, I could not help asking myself the question—­what was the purport of my journey?  As the reader will perceive, I was wholly governed by impulses, and never allowed reason or common sense to stand in the way of my feelings.  “What have I to do?” replied I to myself; “to find out if Melchior and Sir Henry de Clare be not one and the same person.  And what then?” What then?—­why then I may find out something relative to Fleta’s parentage.  Nay, but