About a fortnight later Sir Edward, who always opened the post-bag himself, found there a letter addressed to his little niece, and sent a message to the nursery to tell her to come down to him. She arrived very surprised at the summons, as Sir Edward always wished to be left undisturbed at his breakfast, but when she saw the letters on the table she cried out joyously,-- "Good morning, Uncle Edward. I know there's a letter from Jack for me, isn't there? I've been waiting for it every day." "I think there may be, judging from the writing on the envelope. Come here and open it." Milly took the letter, and her little fingers fairly trembled with excitement as she opened it, saying softly to herself as she did so,-- "I knew he would keep his promise. I knew he wasn't a thief." A money order dropped out. "Well," said Sir Edward, "you were right, little woman, and we were wrong. Would you like me to read it for you?" "Yes, please, uncle." The letter read as follows:-- "I am as good as my word, little Miss, in sending you back what you lent me with many grateful thanks for the loan, as I reached London safe and have never touched a drop of drink since I seen you, and am in work at my uncle's, which is good of him to take me, and am getting good wages and goes to church again. And my uncle has a chum which is a street preacher, and comes along of plenty of fellows like I was, and I told him of your young fellow, Tommy Maxwell, and he will keep a look-out for him. Tell the woman that fetched you sharp away that I'll hold up my head with her yet, and every night I asks God to bless you, for I hopes I am getting on the right track again, and thank you kindly for your talk, which is sticking to me. "Yours obediently, "JACK GRAY." Sir Edward laid the letter down in silence when he had finished reading it. Milly's face was radiant. "I've never had a letter in my life before, uncle, but I don't quite understand all of it. Will you explain it to me?" And this her uncle did, sending her upstairs at length to show it to nurse, but sitting wrapped in thought himself and leaving both his letters and breakfast untouched for some considerable time. That same day he went out driving in the afternoon with a young horse, and returning home met a traction engine, at which the horse instantly took fright and bolted.