f bread and butter, one after
the other, not counting toast and cake. He has been like this for the
last two days--and--oh, yes, cook told me to-night that she found him
actually eating dry bread just before he went up to bed. Dry
bread-think of it! Oh, Dick, what can be the matter with him?"

"It certainly sounds mysterious," I answered, "especially as regards
the dry bread; but that of itself suggests a theory, which, as the
detective says in the story, 'I will not divulge just yet;' only don't
worry, Lisbeth, the Imp is all right."

Being now come to old Jasper's cottage, which stands a little apart
from the village in a by-lane, Lisbeth paused and held out her hand for
the basket.

"Don't wait for me to-night," she said, "I ordered Peter to fetch me in
the dog-cart; you see, I may be late."

"Is the old chap so very ill?"

"Very, very ill, Dick."

"Poor old Jasper!" I exclaimed.

"Poor old Jasper!" she sighed, and her eyes were brimful of tenderness.

"He is very old and feeble," I said, drawing her close, under pretence
of handing her the basket; "and yet with your gentle hand to smooth my
pillow, and your eyes to look into mine, I could almost wish--"

"Hush, Dick!"

"Peter or no Peter, I think I'll wait--unless you really wish me to say
'good-night' now?" But with a dexterous turn she eluded me, and waving
her hand hurried up the rose-bordered path.

An hour, or even two, does not seem so very long when one's mind is so
full of happy thoughts as mine was. Thus, I was filling my pipe and
looking philosophically about for a likely spot in which to keep my
vigil, when I was aware of a rustling close by, and as I watched a
small figure stepped from the shadow of the hedge out into the
moonlight.

"Hallo, Uncle Dick!" said a voice.

"Imp!" I exclaimed, "what does this mean? You ought to have been in bed
over an hour ago!"

"So I was," he answered with his guileless smile; "only I got up again,
you know."

"So it seems!" I nodded.

"An' I followed you an' Auntie Lisbeth all the way, too."

"Did you, though; by George!"

"Yes, an' I dropped one of the parcels an' lost a sausage, but you
never heard."

"Lost a sausage!" I repeated, staring.

"Oh, it's all right, you know," he hastened to assure me; "I found it
again, an' it wasn't hurt a bit."

"Imp," I said sternly, "come here, I want to talk to you."

"Just a minute, Uncle Dick, while I get my parcels. I want you to help
me to carry