eyes were fixed and
strange in those brief moments. Then she passed on, gazing straight
before her. There was no start, no sign of the slightest emotion. It
was simply the inquiring look of one who seemed to fancy he was the
personage who had made his appearance in their box, otherwise one whom
she had never before seen.

The impulse was strong upon Chester to follow, but for quite a minute he
stood feeling as if he had been stunned.

Then, with a strange, harsh utterance, he forced himself roughly through
the well-dressed crowd in his endeavours to follow the party, but weeks
of anxiety and abnormal excitement were taking their toll at last; a
sudden giddiness attacked him, and with a heavy groan he reeled and fell
in the midst of the pleasure-seeking throng.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

AUNT GRACE'S CURE.

Chester was borne into the box-office, and a medical man sent for, under
whose ministrations he recovered consciousness, and soon after was able
to declare who he was and his ability to return home unaided.

In the short conversation, the doctor, upon learning that his patient
was a fellow-practitioner, took upon himself to utter a few words of
warning.

"Mustn't trifle with this sort of thing, my friend," he said. "You know
that as well as I can tell you, eh?"

"Yes, yes," said Chester, irritably; "I'll take more care. I have been
over-doing it lately, but," he added, with a curious laugh, "you see I
was taking a little relaxation to-night."

"Humph! Yes, I see," said the doctor, watching him curiously. "Well,
you feel that you can go home alone?"

"Oh yes; see me into a cab, please. Thanks for all you have done. Only
a touch of vertigo."

"`Only a touch of vertigo,'" said the strange doctor, as he saw the
hansom driven off. "`Only a touch of vertigo' means sometimes the first
step towards a lunatic asylum."

"Ah!" muttered Chester, while being driven homewards, "people look at me
as if I were going wrong in my head. I wonder whether I am."

He laughed as he let himself in and heard a rustle on the stairs.
"Watching again," he said to himself. "And they think I'm going wrong,
I suppose. But how strange! That utter denial of all knowledge of me.
Even she!"

He went into his room, and sat thinking of the incidents of the day and
evening for some hours before throwing himself upon his bed, but was
down at the usual time in the morning, partook of the unsocial breakfast
and rose almost withou