pted Adrian again.

"Indeed! Strange that I should have mistaken the last letter, but in the
spirit sight and hearing these things chance: then there is a great man
with a red beard."

"No, Master, you're wrong," said Adrian with emphasis; "Martin was not
there; he stopped behind to watch the house."

"Are you sure?" asked the seer doubtfully. "I look and I seem to see
him," and he stared blankly at the wall.

"So you might see him often enough, but not at last week's meeting."

It is needless to follow the conversation further. The seer, by aid of a
ball of crystal that he produced from the folds of his cloak, described
his spirit visions, and the pupil corrected them from his intimate
knowledge of the facts, until the Senor Ramiro and his confederates in
the cupboard had enough evidence, as evidence was understood in those
days, to burn Dirk, Foy, and Martin three times over, and, if it should
suit him, Adrian also. Then for that night they parted.

Next evening Adrian was back again with the finger in the bottle,
which Meg grabbed as a pike snatches at a frog, and further fascinating
conversation ensued. Indeed, Adrian found this well of mystic lore
tempered with shrewd advice upon love affairs and other worldly matters,
and with flattery of his own person and gifts, singularly attractive.

Several times did he return thus, for as it chanced Elsa had been unwell
and kept her room, so that he discovered no opportunity of administering
the magic philtre that was to cause her heart to burn with love for him.

At length, when even the patient Ramiro was almost worn out by the young
gentleman's lengthy visits, the luck changed. Elsa appeared one day
at dinner, and with great adroitness Adrian, quite unseen of anyone,
contrived to empty the phial into her goblet of water, which, as he
rejoiced to see, she drank to the last drop.

But no opportunity such as he sought ensued, for Elsa, overcome,
doubtless, by an unwonted rush of emotion, retired to battle it in her
own chamber. Since it was impossible to follow and propose to her there,
Adrian, possessing his soul in such patience as he could command, sat
in the sitting-room to await her return, for he knew that it was not her
habit to go out until five o'clock. As it happened, however, Elsa
had other arrangements for the afternoon, since she had promised to
accompany Lysbeth upon several visits to the wives of neighbours, and
then to meet her cousin Foy at the fact