at every
little item of real knowledge added to the feeble store man has
accumulated in his few thousand years of life, was a step, the greatest
step any man could possibly make.

"But could we not get, not a small but a very important item, from
Victor Stott?"

Challis shook his head. "He is too many thousands of years ahead of us,"
he said. "We can only bridge the gap by many centuries of patient toil.
If a revelation were made to us, we should not understand it."

So, by degrees, Challis's influence took possession of me and roused me
to self-assertion.

One morning, half in dread, I stayed at home and read a novel--no other
reading could hold my attention--philosophy had become nauseating.

I expected to see the strange little figure of the Wonder come across
the Common, but he never came, nor did I receive any reproach from Ellen
Mary. I think she had forgotten her fear of the Harrison idiot.

Nevertheless, I did not give up my guardianship all at once. Three times
after that morning I took the Wonder for a walk. He made no allusion to
my defalcations. Indeed he never spoke. He relinquished me as he had
taken me up, without comment or any expression of feeling.

VI

On the twenty-ninth of September I went down to Challis Court and stayed
there for a week. Then I returned for a few days to Wood Farm in order
to put my things together and pack my books. I had decided to go to
Cairo for the winter with Challis.

At half-past one o'clock on Thursday, the eighth of October, I was in
the sitting-room, when I saw the figure of Mrs. Stott coming across the
Common. She came with a little stumbling run. I could see that she was
agitated even before she reached the farmyard gate.

CHAPTER XVII

RELEASE

I

She opened the front door without knocking, and came straight into my
sitting-room.

"'E's not 'ere," she said in a manner that left it doubtful whether she
made an assertion or asked a question.

"Your son?" I said. I had risen when she came into the room, "No; I
haven't seen him to-day."

Ellen Mary was staring at me, but it was clear that she neither saw nor
heard me. She had a look of intense concentration. One could see that
she was calculating, thinking, thinking....

I went over to her and took her by the arm. I gently shook her. "Now,
tell me what's the matter? What has happened?" I asked.

She made an effort to collect herself, loosened her arm from my hold and
with an instinctive