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HEALTH, STRENGTH, & ENERGY. e, but wear ilG BELTS Eestorer "), 'OUS DEBILITY, LOSS ;ODY AND MIND, <fec., AY, showing suflferers how altb. Strength, and Manly MEDIOINE. Will be sent etary, Volta House, cford Street, W. This is a Positive (Jure without Medicine. BEWARE OF SPURIOUS IMITATIONS. Patent Rights conferred open to inspection, and every information given gratis. Established 183S. GILBERT KEMP (LATE WILLIAM KEM?), I CONTRACTING AUCTIONEER, I! I! Contractors' £ Builders' Appraiser d Broker, \\ \\ 57 & 58 CHANCERY LANE, LONDON, W.C, ! Estates managed for Mortgagees and others. I Dislruiats personally attended to in any part of the Kingdom, and all collections paid over on same day as made, or at definite periods as arranged. Ebiiiaites free for holding Auction Salea Sar\()s made at the shortest notice. Valuations for all purposes. Siinitary arrangements inspected and carried out under the ppccial supervision of principal, and by experienced men. All Letters promptly answered arid Advice of) all matters free. Office Hours from 9* to 5; Saturdays, 2. MLILAH OR Hl^t liitfc '§omt: hi l^iaabilb. BY THE AUTHOR OP SKITTLES—LEFT HER HOME—ANNIE—INCOGNITA—KATE HAMILTON- THB LADY DETECTIVE—THE BEAUTIFUL DEMON—AN0NT1L4.— SKITTLES IN PARIS—LOVE FROLICS OF A TOUN& SCAMP— AGNESWILLOUGHBT—FORMOSA-THE SOILED DOVE. LONDON: CHAELES HENEY CLAEKE, 7 GOTJGH SQUARE, FLEET STREET. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. THE PARTING AT THE STILE 1 II. DALILAH 13 III. THE SUPPER 19 IV. OLD IKEY'S DEN 27 V. THE BURGLARY 36 VI. THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER 40 VII. THE REVENGE .... 48 VIII. THE TRAP 54 IX. TOO LATE , . 62 X. CONSTANCE GETS THE ALARM . .71 XL THE HOUSE ON THE EIVER 76 XII. FOUL PLAY- SUSPECTED 79 XIII. CONSTANCE ON THE TRACK 87 XIV. THE APPOINTMENT 94 XV. A STRANGE MEETING 98 XVI. THE PRISONER 10.3 XVII. THE EENCONTRE IN HYDE PARK .... 113 XVIII. THE NE-W HAND 12.5 XIX. THE WATER-PARTY 133 XX. THE NAVVY 150 XXI. THE DETECTIVE ....... 155 XXII. A DARK NIGHT'S WORK 165 IV CONTENTS. ciiAr, FAr.a XXIII. THE ESCAPE . 174 XXIV. A NE"W EMISSARY . 186 XXV. WATCHING AND WATCHED . 193 XXVI. PRINCE POLONIA'S NE"W" ALLY . 197 XXVII. CONSTANCE RECEIVES INTELLIGENCE . 205 XXVIII. BLOXAM REPORTS .... 21G XXIX. IKEY LEVY ON THE WATCH . 222 XXX. THE STRUGGLE FOR PRECEDENCE . 235 XXXI. 250 XXXII. , 254 XXXIII. IKEY s REVENGE .... '206 XXXIV. BLOXAM HAS HOPES .... 273 XXXV, WALLS HAVE EARS .... 283 XXXVI, Ci>\sT.\NCE AND HER FATHER . 291 XXXVII. A R.VY OF HOPE .... 302 XXXVIII. I.M PENDING . 310 XXXIX. EELEASED . 320 DALILAH: OB THE LITTLE HOUSE IN PICCADILLY. "tMI" CH^PTEE L THE PARTING AT THE STILE. ' YOU'LL have your luggage ready, miss ?' ' Don't you fear me. I shall be there.' * I suppose there 'won't be very much of it, miss ?' This asked 'with a covert sneer. ' Enough to push you out of your master's service if you're not civil and obedient. So, if you care to re­ main 'where you are, keep a civil tongue in your head, and be respectful to me.' ' I didn't mean anything, miss, I assure you, miss; I 'wouldn't for all the world. At seven this evening, the other side the toll-gate. I'll be there, miss. Good- evening!' Then in an undertone, ' Givin'yourself airs already, are you ? and all 'cos you're goin' to be mas­ ter's madam for a time! Lor' bless my soul, 'when 1 B 1! DALILAH. recollect all that I've seen in the same position—fine v/omen, some of 'em, -with broughams and villas, and ail the rest of it! and this little country-bred chit to think of talking to me—me, Thomas Box, what's been the Colonel's own man for ten years, and seen all man­ ner o' games ! It is amusin', on my soul it is ! How­ ever, it's the guv'nor's fancy, and he mus'n't be balked in it.' This conversation took place behind a large fishing- kigger which was pulled up high and dry on the beach, of Stfiithes-on-the-Sea, a little village on the Yorkshire coast; and the speakers were—a tall, thin, elderly man, with a kind of soldierly appearance about him, whis­ kers now turning gray, but scrupulously trimmed, short grizzled hair, and stiff upright gait; and Lucy Waring, the prettiest girl in Staichoo, aiiU ihe toast of the coun­ try for miles round. A strana'e talk to take place be­ tween two such people ! Let us see how they came together. Eighteen years before the date of this conver.sation the 10th Hussars were quartered at York, the great cathedral town within thirty miles of Staithes. The 10th were the gayest regiment which had been in those dull barracks for years. They gave balls and fetes and private theatricals; their officers were the handsomest set of men, the richest and the most prodigal; and York had never l)een so jovial as when this jolly regi­ ment was dwelling in its midst. Jolly as it was for York, it was a very bad season for its neighbour Staithes. The winter had been fright­ fully stormy—not with storms which might have been foretold by any of the old salts, who read the weather much better and truer than the weather-glasses and THE PARTING AT THE STILE. 3 barometers and ' drums' of modern days, but squally, with sudden unexpected gusts of wind coming down on the calm—so that there had been many wrecks, and losses of life, and nets, and boats, and all that made up the Staithes stock-in-trade. Matters were bad enough with all the Staithes fisher­ men, but they were worse with Joe Waring than with most. Joe was partner in a coble, one of the fishing-boats of that coast, and he had been out with his mate after herrings the night the first squall came down. It was right down upon them before they could strike sail; and the coble turned upside down in an instant, and Joe and his partner Mat Wood were thrown into the raging sea. Joe was picked up by a boat sailing in company, but Mat was never heard of again, nor were the nets and the boat, all Joe owned in the world save his wife; and she was lying in their wretched little room in the back street at Staithes down with the fever. The drenching and the loss of all earthly prospects combined gave Joe himself a bad illness; but he was a main strong fellow, and he fought against it, as he would have fought against anything but starvation.