leaving; but, you see,
it is a cross post to your place, and the letter could not anyhow have
got there for delivery this morning. You can hardly explain it all by
telegram; and I think, as I said, it is better that you should go
yourself. I will have breakfast put for you in my study, and I will have
a fly at the door. You will be able to catch the eight-o'clock train
into Gloucester, and you should be home by eleven."

"You do not think anything could have happened to him?" Rupert asked
anxiously.

"No, I do not think that there is any fear of that, Clinton. You see, he
has got a fixed idea in his head; he has evidently acted with
deliberation. Besides, you see in his letter to you he says he shall not
see you until he has made a name for himself. I tell you frankly,
Clinton, that my own impression is that your brother is not mad, but
that he has--of course I do not know how, or attempt to explain it--but
that he has in some way got the idea that he is not your brother. Has he
been quite himself lately?"

"Quite, sir; I have seen nothing unusual about him at all."

"Did he seem bright and well yesterday morning?"

"Just the same as usual, sir. I was quite surprised when, just at
tea-time, I found that he had gone to lie down with the headache."

"Did he get any letter yesterday?"

"No, sir; we neither of us had any letter, in the morning anyhow. He may
have received one in the afternoon, for anything I know."

"I will go and ask Robert," the master said; "he always takes the
letters from the letter-bag."

"No, Clinton," he went on when he returned; "there were only three
letters for the boys in the afternoon mail, and neither of them was for
him. He cannot have seen anyone, can he, who could have told him any
story that would serve as a foundation for this idea?"

Then an idea flashed across Rupert. "Well, sir, a rather curious thing
has happened in the last few days. There has been a woman about here,
and it appears she asked one of the boys which were the Clintons; and we
have seen her every time we have been out, and we both noticed that she
has stared at us in a very strange way. I don't know that that can
possibly have anything to do with it. She may have spoken to Edgar
yesterday. Of course I cannot say."

"Well, I must be going now. I have told Robert to put your breakfast in
my study, and to send the boy for a fly."

"What will you say to the boys, sir?" Rupert asked anxiously.

"There will be