father's roof that the news reached him that
Mademoiselle Gabrielle had started for Europe,
under the care of an English lady who was a
very old friend and schoolfellow of Madame
Descartes, and who had undertaken the charge
of the young girl for the next few years. During
that time she was to live in England.

I believe that never once from the time of
that parting which has just been alluded to
between the lovers, did young Penmore for one
moment doubt that Gabrielle was to be his
wife. On this subject his mind was
tolerably tranquil. That thing was to be. The
only thing to be done now was to bring it about
as soon as possible. And that meant work.
Gilbert's father, with his family to provide for,
and his means comparatively small when the
expenses of his position are considered, could
do nothing for him pecuniarily. The young
man himself had a very small sum left him by
his mother, and which was to come to him on
his majority, but it was rather a sum which
might help him to make a start in life than a
fortune to be looked to as a source of income.
It was necessary, then, that he should adopt
some profession without delay, and embark
himself in it as soon as possible.

And now there came to him the remembrance
of those books on law which he had found in
his father's library, and to these he returned
with a purpose, studying them with a degree
of success which seemed to show that he really
had some aptitude for the acquirement of this
particular branch of knowledge. No doubt
it was because those books came in his way that
he took up with the study of the law, but how
many illustrious persons have there not been
whose choice of a profession has been influenced
––and with the best results––by what came in
their way at the critical period of passing from
boyhood to man's estate.

The small collection of books on legal
subjects in Governor Penmore's library, and such
others on the same topic as were to be obtained
on the island, were in due time exhausted, and
our young gentleman being still bent on
becoming Lord Chancellor, it was at length
decided that Gilbert should set sail for the mother
country, to be entered at one of the Inns of
Court, and to prosecute his studies under
professional guidance. His father could get
him a free passage to England, and would
provide the fees which would be required for
his entrance at Lincoln's Inn and his education
in barristers' chambers. More than this he
could not do, and it was arranged that, till he
came of age, Gilbert should live on money
borrowed on the sum left him by his mother,
and afterwards on the money itself, till such
time as he should be in the receipt of a
professional income. "Not long," Gilbert thought,
poor fellow.

At last a certain night came when the lad
found himself actually standing upon the deck
of an English man-of-war bound for home, and
as he stood with his hand upon the bulwark in
the still, tropical night, he gazed with fixed
eyes into the darkness before him like one who
would fain see his destiny in the future. "I
will do great things," he said; "I will go more
and more deeply into this calling, which to me
seems so fascinating. I will undertake some
great defence, which I will conduct so as to
become celebrated everywhere. I will rise to be
Lord Chancellor, and Gabrielle shall be my wife
to cheer and help me through it all."

CHAPTER II. AT HOME.

Two young people are sitting at breakfast in
a small room in a house in the suburbs of
London. They are rather an odd-looking couple,
and, curiously enough––though this does
sometimes happen with married people––they are
rather alike. Both are sallow, both have large
dark eyes and dark hair, both incline to be
thin, and both, but especially the lady, talk
English with a slight accent. This, however,
will not be reproduced here; nor, indeed, could
the thing be done, as their knowledge of the
language in which they are conversing is too
perfect to permit of their making mistakes in
the choice of words, or in grammar, and is, in
fact, a matter only of tone and accent.

The breakfast would appear to be of anything
but a luxurious sort. Part of a stale loaf,
some pieces of dry toast, and the débris of an
egg, decorate the table, which is covered with a
rather dirty tablecloth.

I have said that these young people were
sallow, and dark, and thin, but I shall have chosen
my words very ill if I have conveyed the
impression that they were either ill favoured or
sickly. Both were straight and well grown,
and the man gave good evidence of that kind of
wiriness which is so superior to mere fleshy
strength. So with his face. It was nervous,
lively, intelligent, but it was not what would be
called handsome. His expression was
somewhat of an anxious kind, perhaps a little
unhappy, but when he addressed the lady opposite
to him it lit up directly, and was singularly
pleasant to see.

I have said that between the man and his
wife there was a certain resemblance, and I have
spoken of their being both of a sallow
complexion, but I believe that with regard to the
lady, at any rate, I have chosen the word ill. I
ought rather to have said that her complexion
bore evidence of her having been born in a
climate where the sun is less merciful than in
these temperate regions. But it was a clear
and healthy colour, and her eyes, which were
grey, said nothing of illness or languor.
They were a very young couple; the husband
did not appear to be more than two or three and
twenty, and the wife was two or three years
younger.

At the time of this their introduction to the
reader, it appeared that the two were sitting in
solemn conclave over a letter which lay on the
table before them, and the contents of which
appeared rather to have puzzled them.

"You see we must do something," said the
young man. "That money left me by my poor