orth. But I
can well understand that they amuse you for the present--the young man
is, in fact, very amusing; in the old days, Garda, your ancestors would
have enjoyed having just such a person for their family jester."

Garda looked off through the woods to hide her smile. If the Doctor
could have seen that smile, he might not have been so well content with
his jester comparison; but he could not see it, and he remained
convinced that his idea had been a particularly happy one. "A
feather's-weight touch," he said to himself, with almost grateful
self-congratulation; "but masterly! I doubt whether even Walpole could
have done it better."

As they approached the Levels he made a little turn through the wood in
order to look at a tree with a peculiarly curved trunk--another form of
Nature as manifested in bark--and this brought Garda out at some
distance from Osceola, who was hidden by an intervening thicket. They
walked across the Levels, and at length reached the house, the Doctor
going in with his ward, accompanying her up-stairs, still talking
cheerfully, and leaving her at her door; he then went on with leisurely
step to his own room. But this apartment possessed two entrances; coming
in at the first, the Doctor, after closing this door behind him, merely
crossed his floor and went out through the second, which opened upon a
corridor leading to another stairway; in two minutes he was on his way
back to the Levels.

Having crossed them again, he found Osceola standing meditatively where
he had left him; Osceola was a patient beast. He mounted him, and rode
into the wood, following the same path which he had just traversed with
Garda; he intended to follow it to the end. On the way he met no one. At
the house he found no one. His two long journeys on foot across the
Levels had taken time; he was not a rapid walker, he could not be with
such neatly finished steps. When, therefore, he drew rein at Madam
Giron's, all was closed and dark, there was no one about.

The moon was rising; by its light he made his way back to Cajo's cabin
near the branch.

"Cajo?"

Cajo came out. He was astonished to see the Doctor.

"I came over to speak to Mr. Spenser a moment, Cajo. Has he gone, then?"

"Yes, sah; went haffen 'nour ago."

"Ah, earlier than he intended, I conjecture. But I dare say some one
else has been over from East Angels this evening?" The Doctor used the
word "evening" as "afternoon."

"No, sah; no one." And