"My dream, my dream!" I thought. Surely the hand of God was in this; but I did not know all then! "Well, are the ten years up yet?" I said, as quietly as I could. "'Twas up 'bout a month ago, sur; and then, sur we've heerd as 'ow a strange thing happened." "What?" "I have to go up to the house a goodish bit, sur. I take fish there, and I'm friendly weth the sarvents, too, and so I heer more'n anybody else." "Well?" "They do say as 'ow Mrs. Trewinion and Maaster Wilfred went botherin' 'er again to marry 'im, tellin' her that the ten years was up. They say, too, that Maaster Wilfred got Miss Ruth's old steward Inch into some scrapes, and can make un do moast what he've got a mind to. Anyhow they oal got at her, and got her to promise, when she screeches out 'Roger es ere; I see un!' There were a sarvent in the 'all that eerd her and she tould me!" "Merciful God," I thought, my dream again. "What happened afterwards?" I said, excitedly. "Why, sur, Miss Ruth she fented away, and lyed like one dead for a long time, and when she came to she looked oal dazed." "And then?" "The next day she went to her own house." "What for?" "To prepare for the weddin'. She believed, so she tould her maid, that Roger must be dead, and so she went home tu fulfil her father's will, and prepare for the weddin'." "What, did Wil--, that is, the other brother, persist in her marrying him, though he knew she didn't like him?" "That he did, sur. You see, he've bin livin' wild, and people do zay that the whole estate es mortgaged up to its eyes, and he ded want to get Miss Ruth so as to kep Trewinion." My heart grew hot with anger, but I only urged the man to go on with his story. "Well, I do'ant knaw much after that 'ow things went on; but I've heerd that she pined and pined, and still Maaster Wilfred kept her to her promise. The banes (banns) was called in church, and the day fixed; but she got thinner and thinner, till 'bout a week ago she--she----" "She what? Tell me?" "She died. Goodness gracious, who be you?" "Ruth dead! Died of a broken heart! Wilfred, your cup is full! You shall die for this!" I cried wildly. My brain was on fire, my heart was breaking. I had come home for this! The message was a mockery, nothing was before me but despair and--revenge. "Look you!" cried Bill, "you be--iss, good Lord--you be Maaster Roger!" "Yes, Roger," I said, "come home for this!" "Oa, Maaster Roger, I wish I 'ad'n tould 'ee. I'd a bite my tongue out fust; but I ded'n knaw, and yet I thought you was somebody I'd seed before. Oa, Maaster Roger, do'ant 'ee give way so. Oa, to think you should 'ev bin dead, and come back livin', and that Bill Tregargus shud hev bin the fust to tell 'ee the bad news. Ef I'd only knaw'd I'd ev altered it; but I ded'n."