was going to the Indian
River. But the Doctor did not believe in this story of the Indian River.
He learned that Winthrop had started at six o'clock, driving his own
horses (he had a pair besides his saddle-horse), and taking his man Tom,
who was to bring the horses back. The Doctor began to make estimates:
Lucian had got off about eight the evening before, he was therefore ten
hours in advance of Winthrop; still, if he had been kept waiting at the
river (and the steamers were often hours behind time), Winthrop, with
his fast horses, might reach the landing before he (Lucian) had left. In
any case Winthrop could follow him by the next boat; the Doctor had
visions of his following him all the way to New Orleans!

How it was possible that Winthrop could have known of an intention of
Garda's which she had not carried out (for of course it was that
intention which had made him follow Lucian), how it was possible that
Winthrop could have known of a note which he himself had reduced,
unread, to ashes upon his own hearth, the Doctor did not stop to ask;
neither did he stop to reflect that if Winthrop had been bent upon
following Lucian, it was probable that he would have started at once,
instead of waiting uselessly ten hours. He prescribed for Margaret; then
he rode hastily over to Madam Giron's to make further inquiries.

The horse and wagon that had taken Lucian across the country had
returned, and the negro boy who had acted as driver said that Mr.
Spenser had not been delayed at all at the landing; the _Volusia_ was
lying there when they drove up, and Mr. Spenser had gone on board
immediately, and then, five minutes later, the boat had started on her
course down the river--that is, northward. But, in spite of this
intelligence, the Doctor remained a prey to restlessness; he battled
all day with Margaret's fever, almost in a fever himself; he was
constantly thinking that he heard the gallop of a messenger's horse
coming to summon him somewhere; but nothing came, save, late in the
afternoon, Winthrop's own horses, and they went modestly round to the
stables without pausing. The Doctor went out to see Tom.

Tom said that his master had been obliged to wait two hours at the
landing; he had then taken the slow old _Hernando_ when she touched
there on her way up the river, going, of course, southward. The Doctor
went off to the garden, and walked up and down with a rapid step; he was
passing through a revulsion of feeling. He