new doubts and to silence the new misgivings; his one present anxiety
was to hear that Allan had gone to bed. He turned the corner of the
house, and presented himself before the men smoking their pipes in the
back garden. As soon as their astonishment allowed them to speak, they
offered to rouse their master. Allan had given his friend up for that
night, and had gone to bed about half an hour since.

"It was my master's' particular order, sir," said the head-footman,
"that he was to be told of it if you came back."

"It is _my_ particular request," returned Midwinter, "that you won't
disturb him."

The men looked at each other wonderingly, as he took his candle and left
them.

VIII. SHE COMES BETWEEN THEM.

Appointed hours for the various domestic events of the day were
things unknown at Thorpe Ambrose. Irregular in all his habits, Allan
accommodated himself to no stated times (with the solitary exception of
dinner-time) at any hour of the day or night. He retired to rest early
or late, and he rose early or late, exactly as he felt inclined. The
servants were forbidden to call him; and Mrs. Gripper was accustomed
to improvise the breakfast as she best might, from the time when the
kitchen fire was first lighted to the time when the clock stood on the
stroke of noon.

Toward nine o'clock on the morning after his return Midwinter knocked
at Allan's door, and on entering the room found it empty. After inquiry
among the servants, it appeared that Allan had risen that morning before
the man who usually attended on him was up, and that his hot water had
been brought to the door by one of the house-maids, who was then still
in ignorance of Midwinter's return. Nobody had chanced to see the
master, either on the stairs or in the hall; nobody had heard him ring
the bell for breakfast, as usual. In brief, nobody knew anything about
him, except what was obviously clear to all--that he was not in the
house.

Midwinter went out under the great portico. He stood at the head of the
flight of steps considering in which direction he should set forth to
look for his friend. Allan's unexpected absence added one more to the
disquieting influences which still perplexed his mind. He was in the
mood in which trifles irritate a man, and fancies are all-powerful to
exalt or depress his spirits.

The sky was cloudy; and the wind blew in puffs from the south; there was
every prospect, to weather-wise eyes, of coming rain. While Mi