But the old man sank into a chair and took no heed of the question. "And I to have got it into my doited old head that the darling died long years ago!" he said presently, with the air of one who is talking to himself. "To be sure it was the mistress herself that led me to think so, and how was I to guess that she wanted to hide the truth?" Presently he roused himself, and after staring at Clem for a few moments like one collecting his faculties, he said, laying a finger on the photograph: "And you say, sir, that you know her, and that she is alive and well?" "I do say so," answered Clement, in his most impressive tones. "Tell me about her--tell me all you know," exclaimed Barney, with trembling eagerness. Accordingly, without going into any superfluous details, Clement proceeded to give his hearer an outline of Hermia's history from the date of her adoption by John Brancker onward. He was careful to speak slowly and distinctly, and as Barney's intelligence took in one point of the narrative after another, he nodded his head and muttered a word or two under his breath, but otherwise he kept silent till Clem had come to an end. "And now that I have told you so much, Mr. Dale," continued Clem, after a pause, "I trust that you, in your turn, will be able to answer me one or two questions. In the first place, will you be good enough to inform me what relation Miss Hermia Rivers is to Miss Pengarvon?" Barney blinked at his questioner and sucked in his under-lip for a moment or two, then he said: "I darena tell you aught, and you mustna ask me. Years and years ago my mistress bound me down by oath, never without her leave to open my lips about certain things to man, woman, or child. It was a very solemn oath, and I darena break it." Clement was nonplussed. "At least, you can tell me this," he said presently. "Is either of Miss Rivers's parents still living?" "I darena answer, and you mustna ask me," was the old man's dogged reply. Clem made a gesture of annoyance. "Come, then, Mr. Dale," he said, "you can hardly refuse to tell me what you meant by your remark just now, that, perhaps, it 'may not be too late.'" Barney was sitting with rounded shoulders, resting his chin on his hands, which were crossed over his stick. For a little while he did not answer. "Bring her down to Stavering," he said, at last, bending a slow look on the young surgeon, "and I'll contrive for the mistress to see her. Who can tell what may come of it?" Then for the second time he said: "And I to have got it into my doited old head that the darling died ever so many years ago!" He rose with a little difficulty, and possessed himself of his hat which he had taken off on entering the room. Then, laying a hand on Clem's shoulder, he said, impressively,