and
meditated. This mysterious method of approach determined him, after
all, not to leave the place till he had ascertained more definite
facts of his sister's position--whether she were the deluded victim of
the stranger or the wife she obviously believed herself to be. Having
eaten some supper, he left the inn, it being now about eleven o'clock.
He first looked into the shed, and, finding the horse still standing
there, waited irresolutely near the door of his sister's lodging. Half
an hour elapsed, and, while thinking he would climb into a loft hard
by for a night's rest, there seemed to be a movement within the
shutters of the sitting-room that his sister occupied. Roger hid
himself behind a fagot-stack near the back door, rightly divining that
his sister's visitor would emerge by the way he had entered. The door
opened, and the candle she held in her hand lighted for a moment the
stranger's form, showing it to be that of a tall and handsome
personage, about forty years of age, and apparently of a superior
position in life. Edith was assisting him to cloak himself, which
being done he took leave of her with a kiss and left the house. From
the door she watched him bridle and saddle his horse, and having
mounted and waved an adieu to her as she stood, candle in hand, he
turned out of the yard and rode away.

The horse which bore him was, or seemed to be, a little lame, and
Roger fancied from this that the rider's journey was not likely to be
a long one. Being light of foot he followed apace, having no great
difficulty on such a still night in keeping within earshot some few
miles, the horseman pausing more than once. In this pursuit Roger
discovered the rider to choose bridle-tracks and open commons in
preference to any high road. The distance soon began to prove a more
trying one than he had bargained for; and when out of breath and in
some despair of being able to ascertain the man's identity, he
perceived an ass standing in the star-light under a hayrick, from
which the animal was helping itself to periodic mouthfuls.

The story goes that Roger caught the ass, mounted, and again resumed
the trail of the unconscious horseman, which feat may have been
possible to a nautical young fellow, though one can hardly understand
how a sailor would ride such an animal without bridle or saddle,
and strange to his hands, unless the creature was extraordinarily
docile. This question, however, is immaterial. Suffice it to say,