Dudley stared open-mouthed. "_Miss_ Jennings! Jane Jennings!" he repeated, in astonishment. Then a terrible possibility dawned upon him. A cold perspiration broke out all over him. Oh, god of love, was this his precious Jennie? Had he made an irrevocable ass of himself over this lump of ancient human flesh? A hue of brilliant scarlet suffused his countenance. Oh, what an imbecile, a simple, drivelling idiot, he had been! "Was it me that you wished to see, sir?" she asked, wondering at his strange manner. "No!" he answered fiercely. "I think there must be some mistake," he added more calmly, struggling to repress his feelings. "Very sorry to have--er--Good-day." He turned suddenly, and, without another glance at his long-lost Jennie, quickly gained the road and the welcome cover of the hedge. His uppermost feeling was undoubtedly that of anger mixed with mortification, and he swore with sublime eloquence at his own folly as soon as he was out of ear-shot of the house; but the ludicrous side of his situation could not but strike him before he had gone many steps, and he laughed grimly in spite of himself while repeating the undeniable assertion that he had been a lamentable fool. As he swung himself into his saddle prepared to shake the dust of Stillton that very night from his feet, a voice came to him through the semi-obscurity: "Hold on, there! Hold on, I say!" He gave his nag a good kick in the flank and urged him to the top of his speed. "Hold on there! Dudley! Hold on!" He was recognized--caught! That cursed photograph of his! "Go on, you brute, go on!" he cried to his sorry beast. There was not much speed in him, however, and a minute later footsteps were quickly overtaking him. "I say, Dudley! Don't you know me?" panted his pursuer. He turned for an instant in his saddle. Why! Could he believe his eyes? Surely it was Manton! He reined in. "Why, Manton, old boy, what--" "Dudley, what on earth brings you here?" gasped Manton. "That's just what I've been trying to find out, Manton. Take my oath I don't know." "Humph!" ejaculated Manton, fixing his eyes curiously upon his friend. "I don't," reiterated Dudley. "No girl in the case?" suggested Manton significantly. "Girl!" He laughed uneasily. Could Manton be in the joke? "No," he answered, "I can safely say that there is not," the figure of the old nurse clearly in his mind. "Come, now, Dudley," said Manton; "perhaps I know more about your affairs than you think I do. She was frightfully cut up this morning, and I think your letter did it." "Cut up, was she? Ha! ha! Cut up! She appeared to be in one pretty substantial piece just now, notwithstanding." "Look here, Dudley; get off that horse and come over to the farm for supper. There's something wrong. I want to have a talk with you. Now, there has been some misunderstanding, hasn't there?" "Well, I confess I was rather taken in." "Taken in! Nonsense! Do you imagine she would take you in?"