e country; he said, in its
beautiful Doric, "Old oss, I reckon you'd better change the air." I
grasped his hand, muttered a blessing, and sailed for England.

"'On ocean's peaceful bosom the annoyance ceased. But under this
deceitful calm fresh dangers brooded. Two doctors had stolen into the
ship, unseen by human eye, and bided their time. Unable to act at sea,
owing to the combined effect of wind and current, they concealed
themselves on deck under a black tarpaulin--that is to say, it had been
black, but wind and weather had reduced it to a dirty brown--and there,
adopting for the occasion the habits of the dormouse, the bear, the
caterpillar, and other ephemeral productions, they lay torpid. But the
moment the vessel touched the quay, profiting by the commotion, they
emerged, and signed certificates with chalk on my portmanteau; then
vanished in the crowd. The Custom-house read the certificates, and
seized my luggage as contraband. I was too old a traveler to leave my
luggage; so then they seized me, and sent us both down here. (With
sudden and short-lived fury) that old hell-hound at the Lodge asked
them where I was booked for. "For the whole journey," said a sepulchral
voice unseen. That means the grave, my boys, the silent grave.'

"Notwithstanding this stern decree, Suaby expects to turn him out cured
in a few months.

"Miss Wieland, a very pretty girl, put her arm in mine, and drew me
mysteriously apart. 'So you are collecting the villainies,' said she,
sotto voce. 'It will take you all your time. I'll tell you mine.
There's a hideous old man wants me to marry him; and I won't. And he
has put me in here, and keeps me prisoner till I will. They are all on
his side, especially that sanctified old guy, Suaby. They drug my wine,
they stupefy me, they give me things to make me naughty and tipsy; but
it is no use; I never will marry that old goat--that for his money and
him--I'll die first.'

"Of course my blood boiled; but I asked my nurse, Sally, and she
assured me there was not one atom of truth in any part of the story.
'The young lady was put in here by her mother; none too soon, neither.'
I asked her what she meant. 'Why, she came here with her throat cut,
and strapping on it. She is a suicidal.'"

This correspondence led eventually to some unexpected results; but I am
obliged to interrupt it for a time, while I deal with a distinct series
of events which began about five weeks after Lady Bassett's vis