rvelled at his patience with fools,
his urbanity with bores, and his willingness to give of his best to
those who had nothing to give in return.

As the evening wore on he seemed to realise what he had done, and was
evidently troubled. For my part, I had decided to leave next morning,
for I thought that my presence in the house was disturbing him, and
would perhaps spoil the chances of tomorrow's interview. Of this I had
breathed no hint to anyone, and I was therefore greatly surprised when
he said to me after dinner, "I charge you to remain in this house. There
is no reason for going away. I was not myself this afternoon; but it has
passed and will not return. Come now, let us go out into the woods."

Mrs. Abel came with us. Her object in coming was to guide our walk in
some direction where we were not likely to encounter Snarley Bob, whose
haunts she knew, and whom it was not desirable that we should meet
before the appointed time; for the nightingales were now in full song,
and Snarley was certain to be abroad. We therefore took a path which led
in an opposite direction to that in which his cottage lay.

Chandrapal had his own ways of feeling and responding to the influences
of Nature--ways which are not ours. No words of admiration escaped him;
but, on entering the woods where the birds were singing he said, "The
sounds are harmonious with thought." There was no mistaking the hint.

Guided by the singing of the birds, we turned into an unfrequented lane,
bordered by elms. The evening was dull, damp, and windless, and the air
lay stagnant between the high banks of the lane. We walked on in
complete silence, Chandrapal a few yards in front; none of us felt any
desire to speak. Three nightingales were singing at intervals: one at
some distance in the woods ahead of us, two immediately to our right.
Whether it was due to the dampness in the air or the song of the birds,
I cannot tell; but I felt the "drowsy numbness," of which the poet
speaks, stealing upon me irresistibly. We presently crossed a stile into
the fields; and as I sat for a moment on the rail the drowsiness almost
overcame me, and I wondered if I could escape from my companions and
find some spot whereon to lie down and go to sleep. It required some
effort to proceed, and I could see that Mrs. Abel was affected in a
similar manner.

By crossing the stile we had disturbed one of the birds, and we had to
wait some minutes before its song again broke out