their attire; had breakfast; and then proceeded to discuss their plans
for the day. Major Stuart observed that he was in no hurry to
investigate the last modifications of the drying-machines. It would be
necessary to write and appoint an interview before going down into
Essex. He had several calls to make in London; if Macleod did not see
him before, they should meet at seven for dinner. Macleod saw him depart
without any great regret.

When he himself went outside it was already noon, but the sun had not
yet broken through the mist, and London seemed cold, and lifeless, and
deserted. He did not know of any one of his former friends being left in
the great and lonely city. He walked along Piccadilly, and saw how many
of the houses were shut up. The beautiful foliage of the Green Park had
vanished; and here and there a red leaf hung on a withered branch. And
yet, lonely as he felt in walking through this crowd of strangers, he
was nevertheless possessed with a nervous and excited fear that at any
moment he might have to quail before the inquiring glance of a certain
pair of calm, large eyes. Was this, then, really Keith Macleod who was
haunted by these fantastic troubles? Had he so little courage that he
dared not go boldly up to her house and hold out his hand to her? As he
walked along this thoroughfare, he was looking far ahead; and when any
tall and slender figure appeared that might by any possibility be taken
for hers, he watched it with a nervous interest that had something of
dread in it. So much for the high courage born of love!

It was with some sense of relief that he entered Hyde Park, for here
there were fewer people. And as he walked on, the day brightened. A
warmer light began to suffuse the pale mist lying over the black-green
masses of rhododendrons, the leafless trees, the damp grassplots, the
empty chairs; and as he was regarding a group of people on horseback
who, almost at the summit of the red hill, seemed about to disappear
into the mist, behold! a sudden break in the sky; a silvery gleam shot
athwart from the south, so that these distant figures grew almost black;
and presently the frail sunshine of November was streaming all over the
red ride and the raw green of the grass. His spirits rose somewhat. When
he reached the Serpentine, the sunlight was shining on the rippling blue
water; and there were pert young ladies of ten or twelve feeding the
ducks; and away on the other side there was actual