e had been there I could not guess, but the strangeness of meeting
him on this spot, and the occupation in which I was surprised,
discomposed me not a little. Hastily thrusting back the buckle and
the parchment into my pocket, I scrambled to my feet and stood facing
him. Even as I did so, all Mr. Sanderson's warnings came flashing
into my mind.

"For full a minute we stood confronting each other without a word.
He was still standing in the full blaze of the sunlight, with the
same odd smile upon his face, and a peculiar light in his dark eyes
that never swerved for a moment. Finally he gave a low laugh and
nodding lightly, said--

"'Odd thing our meeting like this, eh? Hand of Fate or some such
thing might be mixed up in it from the way we run across each other's
path.'

"I assented.

"'Queer too, you'll allow, that we should both be struck with the
fancy for ascending this mountain. Very few Europeans do it, so I'm
told. I'm on my way up, are you? No? Coming down and taking things
easily, to judge by the way I found you occupied.'

"Was the man mocking me? Or had he, after all, no suspicions?
His voice was soft and pleasant as ever, nor could I detect a trace
of irony in its tone. But I was on my guard.

"'This Peak seems strewn with the handiwork of the heathen,' he
continued. 'But really you seem to be in luck's way. I congratulate
you. What's this? Skeletons, eh? Upon my word, Trenoweth, you've
unearthed a treasure. And this? A statue? Well, it's a queer place
to come hunting for statues, but you've picked up an ugly-looking
beggar in all conscience!'

"He had advanced to the head, which lay in the rank herbage staring
up in hideous spite to heaven. Presently he turned to me and said--

"'Well, this is very remarkable. The fellow who carved this seems to
have borrowed my features--not very complimentary of him, I must say.
Don't you see the likeness?'

"It was solemn truth. Feature by feature that atrocious face was
simply a reproduction of Colliver's. As I stared in amazement, it
seemed more and more marvellous that I had not noticed the
resemblance before. True, each feature was distorted and exaggerated
to produce the utter malignity of its expression. But the face was
the face of Colliver. Nobody could have called him a handsome man,
but before this I had found Colliver not unpleasant to look upon.
Now the hate of the statue's face seemed to have reflected itself
upon him.