d
to judge that the man, though evidently believing he spoke truth, was
but labouring under an hallucination."

"Can you tell me where I can find the man?" asked Mr. Hamlyn, after a
pause.

"Not anywhere at present, sir. He has sailed again."

So that ended it for the day. Philip Hamlyn went home and sat down to
dinner with his wife, as already spoken of. And when she told him that
the mysterious lady waiting outside must be waiting for him--probably
some acquaintance of his of the years gone by--it set his brain working
and his pulses throbbing, for he suddenly connected her with what he had
that day heard. No wonder his head ached!

To-day, after seeing his wife off by train, he went to find Major Pratt.
The Major was better, and could talk, swearing a great deal over the
gout, and the letter.

"It was from Caroline," he said, alluding to his sister, Miss Pratt, who
had been with him in India. "She lives in Essex, you know, Philip."

"Oh, yes, I know," answered Philip Hamlyn. "But what is it that Caroline
says in her letter?"

"You shall hear," said the Major, producing his sister's letter and
opening it. "Listen. Here it is. 'The strangest thing has happened,
brother! Susan went to London yesterday to get my fronts recurled at the
hairdresser's, and she was waiting in the shop, when a lady came out of
the back room, having been in there to get a little boy's hair cut.
Susan was quite struck dumb when she saw her: _She thinks it was poor
erring Dolly_; never saw such a likeness before, she says; could almost
swear to her by the lovely pale gold hair. The lady pulled her veil over
her face when she saw Susan staring at her, and went away with great
speed. Susan asked the hairdresser's people if they knew the lady's
name, or who she was, but they told her she was a stranger to them; had
never been in the shop before. Dear Richard, this is troubling me; I
could not sleep all last night for thinking of it. Do you suppose it is
possible that Dolly and the boy were not drowned? Your affectionate
sister, Caroline.' Now, did you ever read such a letter?" stormed the
Major. "If that Susan went home and said she'd seen St. Paul's blown up,
Caroline would believe it. Who's Susan, d'ye say? Why, you've lost your
memory, Philip. Susan was the English maid we had with us in Calcutta."

"It cannot possibly be true," cried Mr. Hamlyn with quivering lips.

"True, no! of course it can't be, hang it! Or else what would you do?