A SEARCH FOR A SECRET.
A Novel.
BY G. A. HENTY.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. III.
LONDON:
TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE ST., STRAND.
1867.
LONDON:
WYMAN AND SONS, PRINTERS, GREAT QUEEN STREET,
LINCOLN'S-INN FIELDS, W.C.
CONTENTS OF VOL. III.
CHAPTER I. GREAT CHANGES
CHAPTER II. A QUIET TIME
CHAPTER III. A STRANGE PROFESSION
CHAPTER IV. AN ODD WOOING
CHAPTER V. TERRIBLE TIDINGS
CHAPTER VI. THE SEARCH RENEWED
CHAPTER VII. A BROKEN LIFE
CHAPTER VIII. RISEN FROM THE DEAD
CHAPTER IX. PREPARED FOR THE ATTEMPT
CHAPTER X. THE SPY IN THE CAMP
CHAPTER XI. OFF GUARD
CHAPTER XII. FOUND!
CHAPTER XIII. A VAIN PURSUIT
CHAPTER XIV. ENJOYING THE SPOILS
CHAPTER I.
GREAT CHANGES.
Now that I have finished the account of the last of the series ofunsuccessful attempts which were made to find the will, I must hurryover the subsequent events of my life in a much briefer and more conciseway. It is now nearly six years since Robert Gregory died, and I mustcontent myself with a mere sketch of what has taken place in that time;for this my history has already spun out to a most unreasonable length,many times surpassing the limits I proposed to myself when I first satdown with the intention of writing it. But my pen has run on and on, asI recalled all the past events of my life; and I feel every day, when Isee the mass of manuscript which has accumulated in my drawer—for mydesk has long since been too small to contain its growing bulk—that thechances that any one will ever take the trouble to read it through, aregrowing fainter and fainter every day.
However, should it be so, my task has served its purpose. It has, bychaining my attention to the period of which I have been writing, savedme from many an hour of sorrowful thought, and has served as a break tothe monotony of many a weary day. It has, too, often served as an excusefor me to seclude myself in my own room, when my spirits have feltunequal to take part in the constant flow of tittle-tattle and harmlessgossip, which form the staple of the conversation of those with whom mylife is now cast, and is likely, I hope, to remain to the end.
After I came back from our three months' trip on the continent, with myhealth greatly restored, my spirits rose proportionately; and as I hadnothing to throw me back again into my old state, with the exception ofthe shock I received at the news of Angela Harmer's death, I reallybegan to look at things in a more hopeful way, and to think that theeight years—no, the seven years and a half—I was getting veryparticular as to dates—which were to elapse before Percy started on hisreturn from India, were not such a hopelessly long time to look forwardto after all.
By the way, I did not mention in its proper place that he started withhis regiment for India while we were on the continent. Poor Percy! hewas terribly disappointed and grieved that he could not see me before hesailed. But w