reminiscences.

Father and mother! What of them?

An unutterable homesickness overwhelms him. Looking with mute appeal
toward the sky, a star twinkles with softened light. Blending with
ominous shadows of a receding cloud, this tender radiance seems
prophetic. Oswald feels a chastened sense, but strange assurance.

Two persons pass the hotel. The walk and general appearance of both seem
familiar. They are engaged in hurried conversation. No other two men
ever duplicated such combinations of voice, walk, gesture, and general
appearance. His Northfield and London foes are near.

Pierre and Paul did not see Oswald, but hurried by. On the previous day
they had quit the prison. The Calcutta press contained no reference to
their release. Having arrived in Calcutta only three days ago, Oswald
knows nothing of the arrests. He has no desire to meet either of these
rascals, but will go about his own affairs. He feels tempted to assume a
disguise and learn something of their purposes, but recoils at such
practices.

With all this uncertainty checking and thwarting his aspirations, Oswald
cannot easily assume a false guise. True, at Dick Bray's, he donned an
old hat and duster, but these were expedients of hunted self-defense,
discarded soon as aboard ship.

Upon the following day, still undecided what course to pursue, wondering
at the Lanier coincidence of the previous evening, Oswald turns a
street-corner, where a great surprise meets his gaze.

Standing on the threshold of a business house, facing the street, is
Esther Randolph.

The looks of recognition are mutual. Esther steps slightly forward, but
suddenly recoils with a look of scared embarrassment.

Controlling all emotion, Oswald passes on as if nothing had happened.
Crossing at the next corner to opposite sidewalk, he sees Esther still
staring.

Sir Donald joins his daughter, and noting her agitated look, inquires if
she is not well.

Esther then relates her strange impression, clinging hard to her
father's arm.

Sir Donald assures his daughter that such queer freaks of imaginary
recognition often occur.

She still is nervously uncertain.

Even Sir Donald is not fully satisfied with his own theory.

Without suggestion to Esther, he consults registers of several hotels,
but sees nothing to satisfy his curiosity. Concluding that this queer
impression of Esther is through some striking similarity between the
looks of a passer-by and those of that unfortu