CH. X.] The Rector s Story. 167 



suspicions were fully aroused, and the officer 

 of the coastguard telegraphed to the cap- 

 tain of the gunboat stationed at Brockmouth 

 to put him on the alert. 



" For some days after this nothing was seen 

 of the yacht, and our suspicions were lulled, 

 and life in our quiet little village had settled 

 down to its usual routine, when early one 

 stormy morning the strange vessel was again 

 seen close off the land, and a boat manned 

 by six men put off for the little harbour ; and 

 just as it rounded the Point and got into 

 smooth water, a dog-cart, that we all recog- 

 nised as one let out for hire in a town ten 

 miles inland, drove down to the beach. 

 Beside the driver sat a tall, thin, dark man, 

 but the few people on the beach had only 

 time to observe this and that he had the 

 dress and appearance of a gentleman, when 

 he sprang from the cart and hurried to 

 where the boat lay, and without hesitating a 



