Thus Anne had to forego the first sight of her native land, and only by the shouts above and the decreased motion of the vessel knew when she was within lee of the Isle of Wight, and on entering the Solent could encourage her companions that their miseries were nearly over, and help them to arrange themselves for going upon deck.

When at length they emerged, as the ship lay-to in sight of the red roofs and white steeples of Southampton, and of the green mazes of the New Forest, Mr. Fellowes was found looking everywhere for the pupil whom he had been too miserable to miss during the voyage.  Neither Charles Archfield nor his servant was visible, but Mr. Fellowes’s own man coming forward, delivered to the bewildered tutor a packet which he said that his comrade had put in his charge for the purpose.  In the boat, on the way to land, Mr. Fellowes read to himself the letter, which of course filled him with extreme distress.  It contained much of what Charles had already explained to Anne of his conviction that in the present state of affairs it was better for so young a man as himself, without sufficient occupation at home, to seek honourable service abroad, and that he thought it would spare much pain and perplexity to depart without revisiting home.  He added full and well-expressed thanks for all that Mr. Fellowes had done for him, and for kindness for which he hoped to be the better all his life.  He enclosed a long letter to his father, which he said would, he hoped, entirely exonerate his kind and much-respected tutor from any remissness or any participation in the scheme which he had thought it better on all accounts to conceal till the last.

“And indeed,” said poor Mr. Fellowes, “if I had had any inkling of it, I should have applied to the English Consul to restrain him as a ward under trust.  But no one would have thought it of him.  He had always been reasonable and docile beyond his years, and I trusted him entirely.  I should as soon have thought of our President giving me the slip in this way.  Surely he came on board with us.”

“He handed me into the boat,” said Miss Darpent.  “Who saw him last?  Did you, Miss Woodford?”

Anne was forced to own that she had seen him on board, and her cheeks were in spite of herself such tell-tales that Mr. Fellowes could not help saying, “It is not my part to rebuke you, madam, but if you were aware of this evasion, you will have a heavy reckoning to pay to the young man’s parents.”

“Sir,” said Anne, “I knew indeed that he meant to join the Imperial army, but I knew not how nor when.”

“Ah, well!  I ask no questions.  You need not justify yourself to me, young lady; but Sir Philip and Lady Archfield little knew what they did when they asked us to come by way of Paris.  Not that I regret it on all accounts,” he added, with a courteous bow to Naomi which set her blushing in her turn.  He avoided again addressing Miss Woodford, and she thought with consternation of the prejudice he might excite against her.  It had been arranged between the two maidens that Naomi should be a guest at Portchester Rectory till she could communicate with Walwyn, and her father or brother could come and fetch her.