ng. He gazed at me reproachfully, gently,
winningly.

"If I have your permission," he said, "I shall explain."

"Explain!" I cried impatiently.

"Agathemer," he went on, "has left no stone unturned to find some means
for placating both clans and for reconciling you with both. In pursuit of
this aim he has been cautious, discreet, tactful and secret. He has
covertly tried many plans of approach. It was intimated to him, truly,
that I had on foot a scheme which promised to succeed in reconciling both
clans with each other and he rightly inferred that I might be able to
arrange for reconciling both with you at the same time. I am confident
that I can, as I told him when he tentatively approached me and
unostentatiously sounded me on this matter. I told him that it was only
necessary that I have an interview with you as soon as might be. Believing
that an early dissipation of your embroilment would conduce to your quick
and complete recovery he arranged for me to meet you as I have."

While he was saying this my eyes roved about the garden. To my
astonishment I saw a man standing against the shut postern door, intently
regarding us as we sat on the marble seat conferring. In my half
convalescent state I had become used to acquiescence in anything and
everything, I was inert mentally and physically and my perceptive
faculties dulled and slow as were my intellectual processes. While
hearkening to Capito I gazed at the man uncomprehendingly, only half
conscious. I thought him a queer-looking fellow to be in Capito's retinue;
he did not look like a slave, but like a free man of the lowest class. I
did not recognize him, yet it seemed to me that I should; I did not like
the way he looked at us, yet I said nothing. He seemed to see me looking
at him, opened the postern, stepped through it and shut it after him. As
he went I was shot through with the conviction that I had seen him
somewhere before.

"If you have in you," I said to Capito, "any such supernatural powers as
you would need for success in what you aim at, if you have any reasons for
anticipating success, Agathemer was fully justified in what he has done.
If you can really accomplish what you seem to believe you can accomplish,
I shall be grateful to you to the last breath I draw. But I am skeptical.
Speak on. Convince me."

"I must first," he said, "have your pledge of secrecy for what I am about
to say."

"What sort of secrecy?" I queried, repelled and suspici