they learnt that they need not despair; and since then they had lived on in the hope that when the Babu had recovered from his illness, he would find some means of restoring them to the husband and father from whom they had so long been parted. "Surendra Nath has a heart of gold, Mr. Burke," said Mrs. Merriman in concluding her story. "Poor man! he has been very ill. We must do something to show our gratitude for his devotion when we get back to Calcutta." Desmond then in his turn told them all that had happened since their disappearance. When they learnt of the result of the battle of Plassey and that Clive was marching towards Murshidabad, they were eager to set off at once. "Yes, ma’am," said Desmond, "we will start as soon as we can. I will leave you to make your preparations. It may not be possible to start before night, the country being so disturbed, so that if you can sleep through the day you will be fitter for the journey." He left them, and going into the compound found Bulger and Toley looking with curiosity at the body of Diggle. "Hi, sir!" said Bulger as Desmond came up to them; "this here bit o’ velvet is explained at last. Mr. Toley he slit it with his cutlass, sir, and never did I see a man so down in the mouth when he knowed what was under it. Ten’t nothing at all, sir; just three letters; and what for he went and burnt them three letters into the back of his hand ’twould beat a Daniel to explain. ’Fur,’ sir, that’s what they spells; but whether ’tis rabbit-skin or fox I can’t say, though ’tis most likely fox, knowin’ the man." Desmond stooped and looked at the unclad right hand. The letters FUR were branded livid below the knuckles. "He was always quoting Latin, Bulger," he said. "Fur is a Latin word: it means ’thief’." "Which I might have knowed it, sir, only I think as how the man what did the stampin’ might have done it in plain English. I don’t hold with these foreign lingos, sir; there allers seems something sly and deceivin’ about ’em. No right man ’ud ever think ’fur’ meant ’thief’! Thief an’ all, sir, he’s dead. Mr. Toley and me ’ll put him away decent like: and it won’t do him no harm if we just says ’Our Father’ over the grave."