ness by leaving
him to himself.'

And in spite of his impatience, Dr. May refrained from disturbing that
open-eyed trance all the way down the long hill, trusting to the crowd
in the steamer for rousing him to perceive that he was no longer among
russet coats and blue shirts; but he stood motionless, gazing, or at
least his face turned, towards the Dorset coast, uttering no word,
making no movement, save when summoned by his guide--then obeying as
implicitly as though it were his jailor.

So they came to the pier; and so they walked the length of Weymouth,
paced the platform, and took their places in the train. Just as they
had shot beyond the town, and come into the little wooded valleys
beyond, Leonard turned round, and with the first sparkle in his eye,
exclaimed, 'Trees! Oh, noble trees and hedges!' then turned again to
look in enchantment at the passing groups--far from noble, though
bright with autumn tints--that alternated with the chalk downs.

Dr. May was pleased at this revival, and entertained at the start and
glance of inquiring alarm from an old gentleman in the other corner.
Presently, in the darkness of a cutting, again Leonard spoke: 'Where
are you taking me, Dr. May?'

'Home, of course.'

Whatever the word might imply to the poor lad, he was satisfied, and
again became absorbed in the sight of fields, trees, and hedgerows;
while Dr. May watched the tokens of secret dismay in their
fellow-traveller, who had no doubt understood 'home' to mean his
private asylum. Indeed, though the steady full dark eyes showed no
aberration, there was a strange deep cave between the lid and the
eyebrow, which gave a haggard look; the spare, worn, grave features had
an expression--not indeed weak, nor wandering, but half bewildered,
half absorbed, moreover, in spite of Tom's minute selection of apparel,
it had been too hasty a toilette for the garments to look perfectly
natural; and the cropped head was so suspicious, that it was no wonder
that at the first station, the old gentleman gathered up his umbrella,
with intense courtesy squeezed gingerly to the door, carefully avoiding
any stumble over perilous toes, and made his escape--entering another
carriage, whence he no doubt signed cautions against the lunatic and
his keeper, since no one again invaded their privacy.

Perhaps this incident most fully revealed to the Doctor, how unlike
other people his charge was, how much changed from the handsome
spirited lad