e Farquharson was
not one to waste money unnecessarily; for he gave the direction
"Asylum" to the driver in a voice that McConnachie must have been deaf
not to have heard distinctly. Farquharson glanced at once at his
companion, but the old man's face was expressionless, and he persuaded
himself, almost against his will, that McConnachie was too much taken
up with the novelty of the situation to catch the words spoken. The
eagerness with which the old man took notice of every feature of their
progress tended to confirm the idea, and by the time the Asylum was
reached Farquharson felt more at ease.

"The grounds are well kept," remarked McConnachie as they proceeded up
the short avenue.

"Aye, aye, they are that!" was the other's ready answer.

"It seems a big building!" said the old man, as they drove up to the
entrance.

"Far bigger than I expected," said Farquharson.

The cabby rang the bell, and the door was opened by a man-servant, who
came down the steps and opened the carriage door. Farquharson got out
first and incautiously walked up the steps toward the door of the
building. With a madman's cunning, McConnachie whispered to the
servant:

"That's the gentleman I was to bring. He's gone in, so I need not
wait. Tell the man to drive back."

And the agonized Farquharson beheld his charge rapidly driving away and
leaving him behind alone.

"Stop! Stop!" he cried in an angry voice. "That's the man I was
bringing here! He's not fit to be left alone. I tell you he's the
daft man! I'm only a friend!"

"Quite so, sir," said the servant quietly. "It will be all right if
you will step in for a few minutes. We can easily explain to the
Governor."

Two other attendants had appeared on the scene by this time, and the
gentle pressure of the servant's hand on his arm induced the hapless
Farquharson to ascend the steps once more and enter the hall.

He repeated his explanation to the other men, who treated it in the
same quiet way as the first had done. Then it began to dawn upon him
that they really took him for the madman and McConnachie for his sane
companion.

It was a natural mistake as far as they were concerned; for it was
quite a common thing for patients to suppose every one else to be
mentally afflicted except themselves. Moreover, McConnachie had a more
cultured manner than Farquharson at any time, and when the latter
showed so much excitement on account of the trick which had been playe