character; he knew that nothing was more
likely than that, when she had fled from
her step-father's house, it should have been
with the determination to work for her
own bread, and no longer to eat the bread
of idleness. And he began to perceive
how his certificate to Mary Hind's character
might have been turned to account.
If resolved to support herself by entering
service in any capacity whatsoever, Miss
Pomeroy would certainly do so under an
assumed name. It seemed very probable
to Miles, as he thought the matter over in the
train, that she should have adopted that of
her former maid. At all events, having such
very slight materials to guide his inquiries,
he made up his mind that they should, in
the first instance, take this direction.

John's aunt lived in the Close at Salisbury.
Mrs. Hicks was a widow of independent
means, an excellent, charitable
woman – charitable in the highest sense of
the term – who, though she had lived out
of the world all her life, possessed the rare
virtue of indulgence to the weaknesses of
those who had been otherwise tried than
herself. The dangers that beset beauty,
brilliant talents, rank, and wealth – these had
never been hers: she had had her share
of difficulty and sorrow, no doubt; but
her troubles had not hardened the ground
whereon they had fallen like the frost, but
had rather softened it, like the dew, to
receive and nourish the good seed dropped
there. She was now very infirm, and had
had one or two serious attacks within the
last few years, which had left her in a
condition requiring the greatest care
and watchfulness. Her old maid-servant,
Martha, a good, kindly soul, was not much
fitted for any service requiring prevision,
suggestion, or indeed any departure from
the narrow treadmill of duties which she
had faithfully performed for years. She
was a humble-minded woman, revering her
mistress (as, indeed, did all the servants),
and affording as great a contrast to Mrs.
Rouse, in all ways, as could be met with
in the county of Wilts. Mrs. Hicks was
much attached to John, and had the highest
opinion of him, and by many he was looked
upon as her heir; but, as the deceased
Hicks had left several nephews, it was
doubtful whether the widow's sense of
justice would permit her to endow her own
kith with the fortune left her by her
husband. However this might be, she always
bade John consider her house as his home;
and whenever he afforded himself a holiday
it was hither he came.

It had not been possible for him to
announce his coming; and when he drove up
late on Tuesday evening to the little gabled
house in the Close, his arrival was the
pleasantest of surprises to the old lady.
He had made up his mind to tell her
everything, as, indeed, under the
circumstances, he could hardly avoid doing.
Besides, her long knowledge of the
neighbourhood might materially assist his
inquiries. She heard, of course, with
astonishment a narration so far removed from
all her experience, and she was shocked by
it; but the feeling uppermost in her mind
was one of pity for the unhappy girl who
had been led to take this extraordinary
step.

"How much the poor young woman
must have suffered, my dear John, before
she could have brought herself to do such
a thing! . . . . And so you have no other
clue than that the postmark was 'Salisbury'?"

" None. I think, if I were to see the
name of the place, I might know it. And,
perhaps, I might recognise the writing.
At least, I remember its striking me as
peculiar – like what I imagine foreign
hands to be – fine and cramped; but then,
no doubt, every foreign governess writes a
hand of that sort, so that is not much clue.
... I will go to the post-office in the morning,
and get them to give me a list of the
places near this that send their letters into
Salisbury. I will also speak to the police,
and see if they can help me; but it is
rather working in the dark."

The inspector proved to be a remarkably
intelligent man. The whole of the next
day was occupied in prosecuting inquiries
in different directions. John had obtained
an accurate description of Maud's dress.

"You expect the young lady has gone
into service, sir? If so, it is probable she
will have got rid of her clothes. We'll go
round to the slop-shops and find out if any
things of the sort described here have been
sold there within the last few weeks.....
If we find them, we are sure we are on the
right track, at all events. Then about the
post, sir; if they've any observation at all,
they ought to know such a hand as you
describe, coupled with the name on the
cover. There ain't so many bags from
the neighbouring houses and villages after
all."

The inspector's efforts were crowned
with success. John accompanied him to the
shop where the woman distinctly remembered
the circumstance of Maud's coming