"I found him wandering about the beach.

He did not know how to get here, so I brought him over." "Lord, Miss Beatrice, and how do you know it's him ?" said Mrs.Thomas.
"How do you know it ain't a housebreaker ?" "Oh, I'm sure he cannot be," answered Beatrice aside, "because he isn't clever enough." Then followed a long discussion.

Mrs.Thomas stoutly refused to admit the stranger without evidence of identity, and Beatrice, embracing his cause, as stoutly pressed his claims.

As for the lawful owner, he made occasional feeble attempts to prove that he was himself, but Mrs.Thomas was not to be imposed upon in this way.

At last they came to a dead lock.
"Y'd better go back to the inn, sir," said Mrs.Thomas with scathing sarcasm, "and come up to-morrow with proofs and your luggage." "Haven't you got any letters with you ?" suggested Beatrice as a last resource.
As it happened Owen had a letter, one from the lawyer to himself about the property, and mentioning Mrs.Thomas's name as being in charge of the Castle.