Eveninhisanxiouspreoccupationhecouldseethatthechurchitselfwasaquaintandwonderfulpreservationofthepast。ForfourcenturiesithadbeensacredtothetombsoftheDorntonsandtheireffigiesinbrassandmarble，yet，asRandolphglancedatthestatelysarcophagusoftheunknownticketofleaveman，itscomplacentabsurdity，combinedwithhisnervousness，madehimalmosthysterical。Yetagain，itseemedtohimthatsomethingofthemysteryandinviolabilityofthepastnowinvestedthatdegradeddust，anditwouldbeanequalimpietytodisturbit。
MissEversleigh，againbelievinghisagitationcausedbythememoryofhisoldpatron，tactfullyhurriedhimaway。Yetitwasamorebitterthought，Ifear，thatnotonlywerehislipssealedtohischarmingcompaniononthesubjectinwhichtheycouldsympathize，buthisanxietypreventedhimfromavailinghimselfofthatinterviewtoexchangethelighterconfidenceshehadeagerlylookedforwardto。Itseemedcruelthathewasdebarredthischanceofknittingtheirfriendshipcloserbyanotherofthoseaccidentsthathadbroughtthemtogether。Andhewasawarethathisgloomyabstractionwasnoticedbyher。Atfirstshedrewherselfupinacertainproudreserve，andthen，perhaps，hisownnervousnessinfectingherinturn，hewasatlastterrifiedtoobservethat，asshestoodbeforethetomb，hercleargrayeyesfilledwithtears。
“Oh，pleasedon’tdothat——THERE，MissEversleigh，“heburstoutimpulsively。
“IwasthinkingofCousinJack，“shesaid，alittlestartledathisabruptness。“Sometimesitseemssostrangethatheisdead——I
scarcelycanbelieveit。“
“Imeant，“stammeredRandolph，“thatheismuchhappier——youknow“——
hegrewalmosthystericalagainashethoughtofthecaptainlyingcheerfullyinhisbedatthehotel——“muchhappierthanyouorI，“
headdedbitterly；“thatis——Imean，itgrievesmesotoseeYOU
grieve，youknow。“
MissEversleighdidNOTknow，buttherewasenoughsincerityandrealfeelingintheyoungfellow’svoiceandeyestomakehercolorslightlyandhurryhimawaytoalocalitylessfraughtwithemotions。Inafewmomentstheyenteredthepark，andtheoldHallrosebeforethem。ItwasagreatTudorhouseofmullionedwindows，traceries，andbattlements；ofstatelytowers，moss-grownbalustrades，andstatuesdarkeningwiththefogthatwasalreadyhidingtheanglesandwingsofitshugebulk。Apeacockspreaditsostentatioustailonthebroadstonestepsbeforetheportal；aflightofrooksfromtheleaflesselmsroseaboveitsstackedandtwistedchimneys。Afterall，howlittlehadthisstatelyincarnationofthevestedrightsandsacredtenuresofthepastincommonwiththelaughingroverhehadleftinLondonthatmorning！
Andthinkingofthedestiniesthatthecaptainheldsolightlyinhishand，andperhapsnotalittleoftheabsurdityofhisownpositiontotheconfidingyounggirlbesidehim，foramomenthehalfhatedhim。
Thefogdeepenedastheyreachedthestation，and，asitseemedtoRandolph，madetheirpartingstillmorevagueandindefinite，anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldrespondtotheyounggirl’sfrankhopethathewouldsoonreturntothem。Yethehalfresolvedthathewouldnotuntilhecouldtellherall。
Nevertheless，asthetraincreptmoreandmoreslowly，withhaltingsignals，towardLondon，hebuoyedhimselfupwiththehopethatCaptainDorntonwouldstilltryconclusionsforhispatrimony，oratleastcometosomecompromisebywhichhemightberestoredtohisrankandname。Butuponthesehopesthevisionofthatgreathousesettledfirmlyuponitslands，heldthereinperpetuitybythedeadandstretched-outhandsofthosethatlaybeneathitssoil，alwaysobtrudeditself。Thenthefogdeepened，andthecrawlingtraincametoadeadstopatthenextstation。Thewholelinewasblocked。Fourprecioushourswerehopelesslylost。
Yetdespitehisimpatience，hereenteredLondonwiththesamedazedsemi-consciousnessoffeelingasonthenighthehadfirstarrived。
Thereseemedtohavebeennointerim；hisvisittotherectoryandHall，andevenhisfatefulnews，wereonlyadream。Hedrovethroughthesameshadowtothehotel，wasreceivedbythesamehalo-encircledlightsthathadneverbeenputout。Afterglancingthroughthehallsandreadingroomhehurriedlymadehiswaytohiscompanion’sroom。Thecaptainwasnotthere。Hequicklysummonedthewaiter。Thegentleman？Yes；CaptainDorntonhadleftwithhisservant，Redhill，afewhoursafterMr。Trentwentaway。Hehadleftnomessage。
Againcondemnedtowaitininactivity，Randolphtriedtoresistacertainuneasinessthatwascreepingoverhim，byattributingthecaptain’sabsencetosomeunexpectedlegalconsultationorthegatheringofevidence，hisprolongeddetentionbeingduetothesamefogthathaddelayedhisowntrain。Buthewassomewhatsurprisedtofindthatthecaptainhadorderedhisluggageintotheporter’scareinthehallbelowbeforeleaving，andthatnothingremainedinhisroombutafewtoiletarticlesandthefatefulportmanteau。Thehourspassedslowly。Owingtothatperpetualtwilightinwhichhehadpassedtheday，thereseemednoperceptibleflightoftime，andateleveno’clock，thecaptainnotarriving，hedeterminedtowaitinthelatter’sroomsoastobesurenottomisshim。Twelveo’clockboomedfromanadjacentinvisiblesteeple，butstillhecamenot。Overcomebythefatigueandexcitementoftheday，Randolphconcludedtoliedowninhisclothesonthecaptain’sbed，notwithoutasuperstitiousanduncomfortablerecollectionofthatnight，aboutayearbefore，whenhehadawaitedhimvainlyattheSanFranciscohotel。Eventhefatefulportmanteauwastheretoassisthisgloomyfancy。
Nevertheless，withtheboomofoneo’clockinhisdrowsyearsashislastcoherentrecollection，hesankintoadreamlesssleep。
Hewasawakenedbyatappingathisdoor，andjumpeduptorealizebyhiswatchandthestillburninggaslightthatitwasnineo’clock。ButtheintruderwasonlyawaiterwithaletterwhichhehadbroughttoRandolph’sroominobediencetotheinstructionsthelatterhadgivenovernight。Notdoubtingitwasfromthecaptain，althoughthehandwritingoftheaddresswasunfamiliar，heeagerlybroketheseal。Buthewassurprisedtoreadasfollows:——
DEARMR。TRENT，——WehadsuchsadnewsfromtheHallafteryouleft。
SirWilliamwasseizedwithakindoffit。Itappearsthathehadjustreturnedfromthehorseshow，andhadgivenhismaretothegroomwhilehewalkedtothegardenentrance。Thegroomsawhimturnattheyewhedge，andwasdrivingtothestableswhenheheardaqueerkindofcry，andturningbacktothegardenfront，foundpoorSirWilliamlyingonthegroundinconvulsions。Thedoctorwassentfor，andMr。BruntonandIwentovertotheHall。Thedoctorthinksitwassomethinglikeastroke，butheisnotcertain，andSirWilliamisquitedelirious，anddoesn’trecognizeanybody。IgatheredfromthegroomthathehadbeenDRINKING
HEAVILY。Perhapsitwaswellthatyoudidnotseehim，butI
thoughtyououghttoknowwhathadhappenedincaseyoucamedownagain。It’sallverydreadful，andIwonderifthatiswhyIwassonervousalltheafternoon。Itmayhavebeenakindofpresentiment。Don’tyouthinkso？
Yoursfaithfully，SIBYLEVERSLEIGH。
IamafraidRandolphthoughtmoreofthesimple-mindedgirlwho，inthemidstofherexcitement，turnedtohimhalfunconsciously，thanhedidofSirWilliam。Haditnotbeenforthenecessityofseeingthecaptain，hewouldprobablyhavetakenthenexttraintotherectory。Perhapshemightlater。HethoughtlittleofSirWilliam’sillness，andwasinclinedtoaccepttheyounggirl’snaivesuggestionofitscause。Hereadandrereadtheletter，staringatthelarge，grave，childlikehandwriting——solikeherself——andobeyingasuddenimpulse，raisedthesignature，asgravelyasifithadbeenherhand，tohislips。
Stillthedayadvancedandthecaptaincamenot。Randolphfoundtheinactivityinsupportable。Heknewnotwheretoseekhim；hehadnomorecluetohisresortsorhisfriends——if，indeed，hehadanyinLondon——thanhehadaftertheirmemorablefirstmeetinginSanFrancisco。Hemight，indeed，bethedupeofanimpostor，who，attheeleventhhour，hadturnedcravenandfled。Hemightbe，inthecaptain’sindifference，amereinstrumentsetasideathispleasure。YethecouldtakeadvantageofMissEversleigh’sletterandseekher，andconfesseverything，andaskheradvice。Itwasagreatandatthemomentitseemedtohimanoverwhelmingtemptation。Butonlyforthemoment。Hehadgivenhiswordtothecaptain——more，hehadgivenhisyouthfulFAITH。And，tohiscredit，heneverswervedagain。Itseemedtohim，too，inhisyouthfulsuperstition，ashelookedattheabandonedportmanteau，thathehadagaintotakeuphisburden——his“trust。“
Itwasnearlyfouro’clockwhenthespellwasbroken。Alargepacket，bearingtheprintedaddressofaLondonandAmericanbank，wasbroughttohimbyaspecialmessenger；butthewrittendirectionwasinthecaptain’shand。Randolphtoreitopen。Itcontainedoneortwoinclosures，whichhehastilyputasidefortheletter，twopagesoffoolscap，whichhereadbreathlessly:——
DEARTRENT，——Don’tworryyourheadifIhaveslippedmycablewithouttellingyou。I’mallright，onlyIgotthenewsyouarebringingme，JUSTAFTERYOULEFT，byJackRedhill，whomIhadsenttoDorntonHalltoseehowthelandlaythenightbefore。ItwasnotthatIdidn’ttrustYOU，butHEhadwaysofgettingnewsthatyouwouldn’tstoopto。Youcanguess，fromwhatIhavetoldyoualready，that，nowBobbyisgone，there’snothingtokeepmehere，andI’mfollowingmyownideaoflettingthewholeblastedthingslide。Ionlyworkedthisracketforthesakeofhim。I’msorryforhim，butIsupposethepoorlittlebeggarcouldn’tstandthesesunless，God-forsakenlongitudesanymorethanIcould。Besidesthat，asIdidn’twanttotrustanylawyerwithmysecret，Imyselfhadhuntedupsomebooksonthematter，andfoundthat，bythelawofentail，I’dhavetoripupthewholeblessedthing，andBillwouldhavehadtopaybackeveryblessedcentofwhatrentshehadcollectedsincehetookhold——nottoME，buttheESTATE——withinterest，andthatnoarrangementIcouldmakewithHIMwouldbelegalonaccountoftheboy。Atleast，that’sthewaythethingseemedtopanouttome。SothatwhenIheardofBobby’sdeathI
wasgladtojumptherest，andthat’swhatImadeupmymindtodo。
But，likeablastedlubber，nowthatICOULDdoitandcutrightaway，ImustneedsthinkthatI’dlikefirsttoseeBillonthesly，withoutlettingontoanyoneelse，andtellhimwhatIwasgoingtodo。I’dnofearthathe’dobject，orthathe’dhesitateaminutetofallinwithmyplanofdroppingmynameandmygame，andgivinghimfullswing，whileIstoodouttoseaandtheSouthPacific，anddroppedoutofhismessfortherestofmylife。
PerhapsIwantedtosethismindatrest，ifhe’deverhadanydoubts；perhapsIwantedtohavealittlefunoutofhimforhisd——dpreviousness；perhaps，lad，Ihadahankeringtoseetheoldplaceforthelasttime。Atanyrate，IallowedtogotoDorntonHall。Itimedmyselftogetthereaboutthehouryouleft，tokeepoutofsightuntilIknewhewasreturningfromthehorseshow，andtowaylayhimALONEandhaveourlittletalkwithoutwitnesses。I
daren’tgototheHall，forsomeoftheoldservantsmightrecognizeme。