THE LEGEND OF THE ABBEY TOWER. 171 



assured him, that nothing dishonourable was intended. In fact, this 

 declaration, and the cool, determined manner in which it was made, 

 set the poor baronet beside himself. His violence was however 

 unnecessary, for an order to Baldwin to depart from the house was 

 no sooner uttered than obeyed. 



Mary's father was immediately summoned to the hall. The good 

 old man took oath to his ignorance of any connexion between his 

 young master and Mary. He was sure the young gentleman would 

 not wrong his daughter; and, as to any alliance of an honourable 

 kind, that, of course, was out of the question. 



The reaction of the baronet^s feelings brought witli it some re- 

 morse. He sallied forth in search of his son; prowled about 

 " thorough bush, thorough briar," threaded each narrow path and se- 

 cluded field, and inquired of the several tenants whom he encoun- 

 tered in earnest hopes of discovering his discarded son. He 

 remembered the manner in which Baldwin had departed ; the mys- 

 terious significance with which he looked his " farewell," as though 

 it might be the last; and, above all, that coolness which gives 

 determination its expression of truth. 



Failing in his attempts at discovery, he repaired to the village, 

 and, in the extremity of his emergency, condescended to solicit my 

 opinion. I equally deprecated parental tyranny, and the conduct 

 of which he imagined his son had been or might be guilty, in a 

 dishonourable connexion with any woman. I recommended him, 

 if he really suspected such a thing, to befriend the poor female by a 

 timely warning : and, if he feared the consummation of an honour- 

 able but ill-sorted alliance, to reason quietly with both parties, and, 

 if possible, without the appearance of cruelty, to effect their separa- 

 tion. " But, in fact," said I, " you are acting under an impression, 

 which, from all I can gather, just at present, is by no means sub- 

 stantiated as true. Can it be supposed, that, if any intercourse, 

 more than allowable, had been carried on between old Adam's 

 daughter and your son, the gossips of the village would not have 

 learned it ? That your tenant, young Cornwood, who has for some 

 time (though vainly) sought her affections, would have remained 

 ^ ignorant of it ? That I should not have heard it from my gadding 

 housekeeper, who comes to the knowledge of most things even 

 before they happen ? What magical method they may have of 

 communication I know not ; but, certain it is, they have never been 

 seen together. The most penetrating old wizard in the almshouse has 

 not even dreamed of such a matter." 



