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of Upmead. When he saw you, he told me his conscience was moved. He

had, of course, a legal right to the estates, but he had purchased

them for a sum not exceeding a fifth of their value, and he

considered that in the twenty years he had held them he had drawn

from them sums amply sufficient to repay him for the price he had

given for them, and had received a large interest on the money in

addition. He questioned, therefore, strongly whether he had any right

longer to retain them.

"When he consulted me on the subject, he alluded to the fact that, by

the laws of the Bible, persons who bought lands were bound to return

the land to its former possessors, at the end of seven times seven

years. He had already, then, made up his mind to leave that portion

of his property to you, when you rendered him that great service, and

at the same time it became, alas! but too evident to him that his son

was hopelessly bad, and that any money whatever left to him would

assuredly be spent in evil courses, and would do evil rather than

good. Therefore, when I came in the morning to him he said,--

"'My will must be made immediately. Not one penny is to go to my son.

I may be carried off to-morrow by the Plague, or my son may renew his

attempt with success. So I must will it away from him at once. For

the moment, therefore, make a short will bequeathing the estate of

Upmead to Sir Cyril Shenstone, all my other possessions to my wife

for her lifetime, and at her death also to Sir Cyril Shenstone.

"'I may alter this later on,' he said, 'but for the present I desire

chiefly to place them beyond my son's reach. Please draw up the

document at once, for no one can say what half an hour may bring

forth to either of us. Get the document in form by this evening, when

some friends will be here to witness it. Pray bring your two clerks

also!'

"A few days later he called upon me again.

"'I have been making further inquiries about Sir Cyril Shenstone,' he

said, 'and have learnt much concerning him from a man who is in the

employment of the trader with whom he lives. What I have learnt more

than confirms me in my impression of him. He came over from France,

three years ago, a boy of scarce fourteen. He was clever at figures,

and supported his reprobate father for the last two years of his life

by keeping the books of small traders in the City. So much was he

esteemed that, at his father's death, Captain Dowsett offered him a

home in his house. He rewarded the kindness by making the discovery

that the trader was being foully robbed, and brought about the arrest

of the thieves, which incidentally led to the breaking-up of one of

the worst gangs of robbers in London. Later on he found that his

employer's daughter was in communication with a hanger-on of the

Court, who told her that he was a nobleman. The young fellow set a

watch upon her, came upon her at the moment she was about to elope

with this villain, ran him through the shoulder, and took her back to

her home, and so far respected her secret that her parents would

never have known of it had she not, some time afterwards, confessed

it to them. That villain, Mr. Goldsworthy,' he said, 'was my son!

Just after that Sir Cyril obtained the good will of the Earl of

Wisbech, whose three daughters he saved from being burnt to death at

a fire in the Savoy. Thus, you see, this youth is in every way worthy

of good fortune, and can be trusted to administer the estate of his

fathers worthily and well. I wish you to draw out, at once, a deed

conveying to him these estates, and rehearsing that, having obtained

them at a small price, and having enjoyed them for a time long enough

to return to me the money I paid for them with ample interest

thereon, I now return them to him, confident that they will be in

good hands, and that their revenues will be worthily spent.'

"In this parcel is the deed in question, duly signed and witnessed,

together with the parchments, deeds, and titles of which he became

possessed at his purchase of the estate. I may say, Sir Cyril, that I

have never carried out a legal transfer with greater pleasure to

myself, considering, as I do, that the transaction is alike just and

honourable on his part and most creditable to yourself. He begged me

to hand the deeds to you myself. They were completed two months

since, but he himself suggested that I should bring them to you on

Christmas Eve, when it is the custom for many to give to their

friends tokens of their regard and good will. I congratulate you

heartily, sir, and rejoice that, for once, merit has met with a due

reward."

"I do not know, sir," Cyril replied, "how I can express my feelings

of deep pleasure and gratitude at the wonderful tidings you have

brought me. I had set it before me as the great object of my life,

that, some day, should I live to be an old man, I might be enabled to

repurchase the estate of my father's. I knew how improbable it was

that I should ever be able to do so, and I can scarce credit that

what seemed presumptuous even as a hope should have thus been so

strangely and unexpectedly realised. I certainly do not feel that it

is in any way due to what you are good enough to call my merits, for

in all these matters that you have spoken of there has been nothing

out of the way, or, so far as I can see, in any way praiseworthy, in

what I have done. It would seem, indeed, that in all these matters,

and in the saving of my life from the Plague, things have arranged

themselves so as to fall out for my benefit."

"That is what Mr. Harvey feels very strongly, Sir Cyril. He has told

me, over and over again, that it seemed to him that the finger of God

was specially manifest in thus bringing you together, and in placing

you in a position to save his life. And now I will take my leave. I

may say that in all legal matters connected with the estate I have

acted for Mr. Harvey, and should be naturally glad if you will

continue to entrust such matters to me. I have some special

facilities in the matter, as Mr. Popham, a lawyer of Norwich, is

married to my daughter, and we therefore act together in all business

connected with the estate, he performing what may be called the local

business, while I am advised by him as to matters requiring attention

here in London."

"I shall be glad indeed if you and Mr. Popham will continue to act in

the same capacity for me," Cyril said warmly. "I am, as you see, very

young, and know nothing of the management of an estate, and shall be

grateful if you will, in all matters, act for me until I am of an age

to assume the duties of the owner of Upmead."

"I thank you, Sir Cyril, and we shall, I trust, afford you

satisfaction. The deed, you will observe, is dated the 29th of

September, the day on which it was signed, though there have been

other matters to settle. The tenants have already been notified that

from that date they are to regard you as their landlord. Now that you

authorise us to act for you, my son-in-law will at once proceed to

collect the rents for this quarter. I may say that, roughly, they

amount to seventeen hundred pounds a year, and as it may be a

convenience to you to draw at once, if it so please you I will place,

on Monday next, the sum of four hundred pounds to your credit with

Messrs. Murchison and Graham, who are my bankers, or with any other

firm you may prefer."

"With the bankers you name, by all means," Cyril said; "and I thank

you heartily for so doing, for as I shall shortly rejoin the Fleet, a

portion, at least, of the money will be very useful to me."

Mr. Goldsworthy took his hat.

"There is one thing further I have forgotten. Mr. Harvey requested me

to say that he wished for no thanks in this matter. He regards it as

an act of rightful restitution, and, although you will doubtless

write to him, he would be pleased if you will abstain altogether from

treating it as a gift."

"I will try to obey his wishes," Cyril said, "but it does not seem to

me that it will be possible for me to abstain from any expression of

gratitude for his noble act."

Cyril accompanied the lawyer to the door, and then returned upstairs.

"Now I can speak," Captain Dowsett said. "I have had hard work to

keep a stopper on my tongue all this time, for I have been well-nigh

bursting to congratulate you. I wish you joy, my lad," and he wrung

Cyril's hand heartily, "and a pleasant voyage through life. I am as

glad, ay, and a deal more glad than if such a fortune had come in my

way, for it would have been of little use to me, seeing I have all

that the heart of man could desire."

He ran to the door and shouted loudly for his wife and daughter.

"I have news for you both," he said, as they came in. "What do you

think? Cyril, like the King, has come to his own again, and he is now

Sir Cyril Shenstone, the owner of the estate of Upmead."

Both broke into exclamations of surprise and pleasure.

"How has the wonder come about?" Nellie asked, after the first

congratulations were over. "What good fairy has brought this round?"

"The good fairy was the Mr. Harvey whose name Cyril once mentioned

casually, and whose life, as it now appears, he saved, though he has

said nothing to us about it. That gentleman was, most strangely, the

man who bought the estate from his father. He, it seems, is a wealthy

man, and his conscience has for some time been pricked with the

thought that he had benefited too largely from the necessities of Sir

Aubrey, and that, having received back from the rents all the money

he paid, and goodly interest thereon, he ought to restore the estate

to its former owner. Possibly he might never have acted on this

thought, but he considered the circumstance that he had so strangely

met Cyril here at the time of the Plague, and still more strangely

that Cyril had saved his life, was a matter of more than chance, and

was a direct and manifest interposition of Providence; and he has

therefore made restitution, and that parcel on the table contains a

deed of gift to Cyril of all his father's estates."

"He has done quite rightly," Mrs. Dowsett said warmly, "though,

indeed, it is not everyone who would see matters in that light. If

men always acted in that spirit it would be a better world."

"Ay, ay, wife. There are not many men who, having got the best of a

bargain, voluntarily resign the profits they have made. It is

pleasant to come across one who so acts, more especially when one's

best friend is the gainer. Ah! Nellie, what a pity some good fairy

did not tell you of what was coming! What a chance you have lost,

girl! See what might have happened if you had set your cap at Cyril!"

"Indeed, it is terrible to think of," Nellie laughed. "It was hard on

me that he was not five or six years older. Then I might have done

it, even if my good fairy had not whispered in my ear about this

fortune. Never mind. I shall console myself by looking forward to

dance at his wedding--that is, if he will send me an invitation."

"Like as not you will be getting past your dancing days by the time

that comes off, Nellie. I hope that, years before then, I shall have

danced at your wedding--that is to say," he said, imitating her, "if

you will send me an invitation."

"What are you going to do next, Cyril?" Captain Dave asked, when the

laugh had subsided.

"I don't know, I am sure," Cyril replied. "I have not really woke up

to it all yet. It will be some time before I realise that I am not a

penniless young baronet, and that I can spend a pound without looking

at it a dozen times. I shall have to get accustomed to the thought

before I can make any plans. I suppose that one of the first things

to do will be to go down to Oxford to see Prince Rupert--who, I

suppose, is with the Court, though this I can doubtless learn at the

offices of the Admiralty--and to tell him that I am ready to rejoin

his ship as soon as he puts to sea again. Then I shall find out where

Sydney Oliphant is, and how his family have fared in the Plague. I

would fain find out what has become of the Partons, to whom, and

especially to Lady Parton, I owe much. I suppose, too, I shall have

to go down to Norfolk, but that I shall put off as long as I can, for

it will be strange and very unpleasant at first to go down as master

to a place I have never seen. I shall have to get you to come down

with me, Captain Dave, to keep me in countenance."

"Not I, my lad. You will want a better introducer. I expect that the

lawyer who was here will give you a letter to his son-in-law, who

will, of course, place himself at your service, establishing you in

your house and taking you round to your tenants."

"Oh, yes," Nellie said, clapping her hands. "And there will be fine

doings, and bonfires, and arches, and all sorts of festivities. I do

begin to feel how much I have missed the want of that good fairy."

"It will be all very disagreeable," Cyril said seriously; whereat the

others laughed.

Cyril then went downstairs with Captain Dave, and told John Wilkes of

the good fortune that had befallen him, at which he was as much

delighted as the others had been.

Ten days later Cyril rode to Oxford, and found that Prince Rupert was

at present there. The Prince received him with much warmth.

"I have wondered many times what had become of you, Sir Cyril," he

said. "From the hour when I saw you leave us in the _Fan Fan_ I have

lost sight of you altogether. I have not been in London since, for

the Plague had set in badly before the ships were laid up, and as I

had naught particular to do there I kept away from it. Albemarle has

stayed through it, and he and Mr. Pepys were able to do all there was

to do, but I have thought of you often and wondered how you fared,