The Privateers Author:Henry Brereton Marriott Watson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV The Abduction I Returned to Ryde after dinner, and took the train to Brading, which was the nearest station to Bessenton Manor. I had "no use," as... more » Alston might have said, for express messengers when I could take the place myself almost en route for Bembridge. I sent forward my bag by rail, and in the gathering twilight climbed the slopes towards the sea. When I had reached Bessenton it was gloaming, and the light lingered only in the open spaces of the garden. To the right of the house was a neat lawn giving on the flower borders which parted it from a tangled orchard, and here I caught a glimpse of a woman's figure. Conventionally I should have rapped on the door; what I did was to turn aside upon the sward and approach her. " Good evening, Miss Lovell," said I. " I have a letter for your mother.'' She had started slightly, and it was a moment ere she replied. " Thank you so much. I will take it to her.'' She reappeared within two minutes, which allowed me to deduce that she had not waited to hear the letter read. "Isn't it perfectly charming?" she said. . " Is the Island your native place ?" I asked. "Yes; this was my father's house, but—" she paused. " He has been dead a long time." I told her how much I admired the situation, and was falling into a pleasant talk, when Mrs. Lovell's voice was heard calling from the house. "Sylvia! Sylvia!" she cried, and there was an unusual nutter in it. The girl turned her head, and began to walk with due deliberation across the lawn. She must have known that there was news concerning her lover, yet she showed no sign of haste or excitement. I accompanied her. "Sylvia! he's gone to London; he's gone to get—" Then conscious of my presence she stopped. "How kind of you to bring this!" she declared wa...« less