but I don't mind
saying that to part with you would hurt me terribly. I never felt so
dependent on any man as I do on you; and I've grown mighty fond of you,
old man."

"Thank you, lad," said the Governor.

He listened patiently, nodding occasionally or throwing in a question.
When Archie finished he rose and clapped him on the shoulder.

"By Jove, you've tossed my stars around like so many dice! I've got to
consult the oracles immediately."

He darted from the room and when Archie reached his study the Governor
was poring over a map of the heavens.

"Your Isabel's all tangled up in our affairs!" declared the Governor
with mock resentment. "It's she who has upset the calculations of all
star-gazers from the time of Ptolemy!"

"Isabel!" cried Archie excitedly. "I don't catch the drift of this at
all!"

"I should be surprised if you did! Note that countless lines converge
upon my diagram. Isabel will dawn upon your gaze again very soon--I feel
it coming. Our next move was clearly outlined to me before we came to
town, but I must verify the figures in the light of this pistol practice
at Bailey." He covered many sheets of a large tablet with figures and
threw down his pencil with a satisfied sigh.

"Rochester!" he muttered. "Rochester of all places!"

"Would you mind telling me just what Rochester has to do with all this?"
Archie demanded testily.

"My dear boy, Rochester is one of the suburbs of Paradise! The commerce
and manufactures of that city are nothing; it's an outpost of Romance,
like Bagdad and Camelot, a port of call on the sea of dreams, like
Carcassonne! You may recall that I told you of a certain tile in a
summer house where my adored promised to leave a message for me if her
heart softened or she needed me. Well, the secret post-office is at
Rochester; there the incomparable visits her aunt and about this time of
year she's likely to be there. And if you knew the way of the stars and
could understand my calculations you'd see that your Isabel is likely to
have some business in that neighborhood just about now."

"Rubbish! I happen to know that her business was all to be in northern
Michigan this summer. Your stars have certainly made a monkey of you
this time!"

"Cynic! The thought seems to please you! You want to see me discomfited
and defeated. Very well; you can drop me right here if you like, but
I'll wager something handsome that you'll regret your skepticism all the
rest of your days.