Heartily reciprocating his good wishes, Randal attended Captain
Bennydeck to the door. On the way back to the drawing-room, he
found his mind dwelling, rather to his surprise, on the Captain's
contemplated search for the lost girl.

Was the good man likely to find her? It seemed useless enough to
inquire--and yet Randal asked himself the question. Her father
had been described as an officer in the Navy. Well, and what did
that matter? Inclined to laugh at his own idle curiosity, he was
suddenly struck by a new idea. What had his brother told him of
Miss Westerfield? _She_ was the daughter of an officer in the
Navy; _she_ had been pupil-teacher at a school. Was it really
possible that Sydney Westerfield could be the person whom Captain
Bennydeck was attempting to trace? Randal threw up the window
which overlooked the drive in front of the house. Too late! The
carriage which had brought the Captain to Mount Morven was no
longer in sight.

The one other course that he could take was to mention Captain
Bennydeck's name to Sydney, and be guided by the result.

As he approached the bell, determining to send a message
upstairs, he heard the door opened behind him. Mrs. Presty had
entered the drawing-room, with a purpose (as it seemed) in which
Randal was concerned.


Chapter XX.

The Mother-in-Law.