; I saw he had a powerful mind and a sober and
severe character, such as I loved to commune with; and before we reached
the house of Aros I had almost forgotten, and wholly forgiven him, his
uncanny colour.

To Mary I told all that had passed without suppression, though I own my
heart failed me; but I did wrong to doubt her sense of justice.

"You did the right," she said. "God's will be done." And she set out
meat for us at once.

As soon as I was satisfied, I bade Rorie keep an eye upon the castaway,
who was still eating, and set forth again myself to find my uncle. I had
not gone far before I saw him sitting in the same place, upon the very
topmost knoll, and seemingly in the same attitude as when I had last
observed him. From that point, as I have said, the most of Aros and the
neighbouring Ross would be spread below him like a map; and it was plain
that he kept a bright look-out in all directions, for my head had
scarcely risen above the summit of the first ascent before he had leaped
to his feet and turned as if to face me. I hailed him at once, as well
as I was able, in the same tones and words as I had often used before,
when I had come to summon him to dinner. He made not so much as a
movement in reply. I passed on a little farther, and again tried parley,
with the same result. But when I began a second time to advance, his
insane fears blazed up again, and still in dead silence, but with
incredible speed, he began to flee from before me along the rocky summit
of the hill. An hour before he had been dead weary, and I had been
comparatively active. But now his strength was recruited by the fervour
of insanity, and it would have been vain for me to dream of pursuit.
Nay, the very attempt, I thought, might have inflamed his terrors, and
thus increased the miseries of our position. And I had nothing left but
to turn homeward and make my sad report to Mary.

She heard it, as she had heard the first, with a concerned composure,
and, bidding me lie down and take that rest of which I stood so much in
need, set forth herself in quest of her misguided father. At that age it
would have been a strange thing that put me from either meat or sleep; I
slept long and deep; and it was already long past noon before I awoke
and came downstairs into the kitchen. Mary, Rorie, and the black
castaway were seated about the fire in silence; and I could see that
Mary had been weeping. There was cause enough, as I soon learned, for
te