ends than ever.

What it cost him to abandon this habit of exalting me before strangers,
how nearly it touched one of the chief pleasures of his life, I was, as
I thought, soon to see in the altered tone of his manner. In fact, it
totally destroyed the easy flippancy he used to wield, and a facility
with strangers that once seemed like a special gift with him. I tried in
vain to rally him out of this half depression; but it was clear he was
not a man of many resources, and that I had already sapped a principal
one.

While we thus journeyed, he said to me one day, "I find, Digby, our
money is running short; we must make for Zurich: it is the nearest of
the places on our letter of credit."

I assented, of course, and we bade adieu to a pleasant family with whom
we had been travelling, and who were bound for Dresden, assuring them we
should meet them on the Elbe.

Eccles had grown of late more and more serious: not alone had his gayety
deserted him, but he grew absent and forgetful to an absurd extent;
and it was evident some great preoccupation had hold of him. During
the entire of the last day before we reached Zurich he scarcely spoke a
word, and as I saw that he had received some letters at Schaffhausen, I
attributed his gloom to their tidings. As he had not spoken to me of
bad news, I felt ashamed to obtrude myself on his confidence and kept
silent, and not a word passed between us as we went. He had telegraphed
to the banker, a certain Mr. Heinfetter, to order rooms for us at the
hotel; and as we alighted at the door, the gentleman himself was there
to meet us.

"Herr Eccles?" said he, eagerly, lifting his hat as we descended; and
Eccles moved towards him, and, taking his arm, walked away to some
distance, leaving me alone and unnoticed. For several minutes they
appeared in closest confab, their heads bent close together, and at last
I saw Eccles shake himself free from the other's arm, and throw up both
his hands in the air with a gesture of wild despair. I began to suspect
some disaster had befallen our remittances, that they were lost or
suppressed, and that Eccles was overwhelmed by the misfortune. I own
I could not participate in the full measure of the misery it seemed to
cause him, and I lighted a cigar and sat down on a stone bench to wait
patiently his return.

"I believe you are right; it is the best way, after all," said Ecoles,
hurriedly. "You say you'll look after the boy, and I 'll start by the