WYLDER'S HAJYI).
441
sir, wich my conseynce is satesfid, but leter as trubeled a
sertun persen oufull, hoo i new was engry, and look oufull
put about, wich do not offen apen, and you may sewer
there is sumthing in wind, he is alday so oufull peefish,
you will not thing worse of me speeken plane as you
disier, there beeing a deel to regret for frends of the old
famly i feer in a sertun resent marrege, if i shud lern be
chance contense of letter i will sewer rite you.— i Re-
mane your humbel servant,
. "John Larcom."
Just as grave Mr. Larcom had ended the perusal of
this bulletin, he heard a light step on the stair, at the
end of the passage, which made his manly heart jump un-
pleasantly within his fat ribs. He thrust the unfold-
ed letter roughly into the very depths of his breeches
pocket, and blew out both candles; and then listened, as
still as a mouse.
What frightened him was the certainty that the step,
which he well knew, was Stanley Lake's. And Stanley
being a wide-awake and violent person, and his measures
sharp and reckless, Mr. Larcom cherished a nervous res-
pect for him.
He listened; the Captain's step came lightly to the
foot of the stairs, and paused. Mr. Larcom prepared to
be fast asleep in the chair, in the event of the Captain's
making a sudden advance, and entering his sanctum. But
this movement was not executed.
There was a small door at the foot of the stairs'. It
hut with a spring lock, of which Captain Lake had a
latch-key. Mr. Larcom accidentally had another — a
cylindrical bit of steel, with a hinge in the end of it, and
a few queer wards.
Now, of this little door he heard the two iron bolts
19*