"Well, sar," said Josiah, "that's a whisht job sure nuf; but what's done caen't be helped. Ef har fe-a-ther es a conjuror, you arn't, I s'pose; so how cud you tell that she wor there?"
"True," said Frederick, who now began to see the folly of reflecting on himself for coming to Bristol instead of remaining in Cornwall--a mistake which it was impossible he could have seen the result of.
"We have done something by coming here, however," he continued, reflectively; "we have discovered that lonely house. Now, I think you had better remain here with my brother; for I feel convinced that by entering that house, some discovery will be made. In the meantime I will return and seek Alrina and her father. If I can find that boy, I shall succeed without a doubt in rescuing her."
"Iss; but semmen to me that two 'f's' do belong to that," said Josiah.
"What do you mean by 'two f's?'" exclaimed Frederick.
"Why, the fust es, _ef_ you cud find the boy," replied Josiah; "and the next es, _ef_ she's there still. You don't knaw that boy so well as I do; but 'tes no harm to try. I'll go home, or stay here, whichever you plaise; but there's one thing I ha' got to say, that I b'lieve we wor 'pon a good scent, after all."
"Why, I heard somethen' spoke down in the servants' hall last night, that I ha' b'en thinken' about a bra' deal; but I cudn't, to save my life, make the two ends to 'kidgey' like; but your letter ha' opened my eyes all abroad."
"You are speaking in enigmas, Josiah," said his master.
"I don't knaw what sort of things they are, not I," said Josiah; "but putten' this agen that, I can see a bra' way this mornen', I think."
"What are you driving at?" said Morley, looking puzzled.
"Why, this here es about the size of et," replied Josiah, looking very wise,--"Miss Freeman wor in that woggen, so sure as my name es 'Siah Trenow."
"How can you possibly know that?" cried Morley, very much excited.
"Well, I don't knaw et zackly," replied Josiah; "but the porter said, last night, that there ha' b'en a woman up there two or three times spaken' to Mrs. Courland, an' he watched her in an' out o' that little gate in the garden; and by what he said, I do b'lieve 'tes she. He chalked her out zackly, semmen to me."