ues, which had been strangely
overlooked till now, at the bottom of one of his trunks. Old Sophy took
his gifts, but kept her black eyes open and watched every movement of the
young people all the more closely. It was through her that the father had
always known most of the actions and tendencies of his daughter.

In the mean time the strange adventure on The Mountain had brought the
young master into new relations with Elsie. She had led him out of,
danger; perhaps saved him from death by the strange power she exerted.
He was grateful, and yet shuddered at the recollection of the whole
scene. In his dreams he was pursued by the glare of cold glittering
eyes, whether they were in the head of a woman or of a reptile he could
not always tell, the images had so run together. But he could not help
seeing that the eyes of the young girl had been often, very often, turned
upon him when he had been looking away, and fell as his own glance met
them. Helen Darley told him very plainly that this girl was thinking
about him more than about her book. Dick Venner found she was getting
more constant in her attendance at school. He learned, on inquiry, that
there was a new master, a handsome young man. The handsome young man
would not have liked the look that, came over Dick's face when he heard
this fact mentioned.

In short, everything was getting tangled up together, and there would be
no chance of disentangling the threads in this chapter.

CHAPTER XV.

PHYSIOLOGICAL.

If Master Bernard felt a natural gratitude to his young pupil for saving
him from an imminent peril, he was in a state of infinite perplexity to
know why he should have needed such aid. He, an active, muscular,
courageous, adventurous young fellow, with--a stick in his hand, ready to
hold down the Old Serpent himself, if he had come in his way, to stand
still, staring into those two eyes, until they came up close to him, and
the strange, terrible sound seemed to freeze him stiff where he
stood,--what was the meaning of it? Again, what was the influence this
girl had seemingly exerted, under which the venomous creature had
collapsed in such a sudden way? Whether he had been awake or dreaming he
did not feel quite sure. He knew he had gone up The Mountain, at any
rate; he knew he had come down The Mountain with the girl walking just
before him;--there was no forgetting her figure, as she walked on in
silence, her braided locks falling a little, f