powerful acid, upon his sunburnt cheek.

"That is nothing," he answered, curtly, turning his face half round to
hide the mark. "I must get back, for I have a companion who is waiting
for me. If I can ever do anything for you, pray let me know. You have
only to follow the beck upward for a mile or so to find my place. Have
you a bolt on the inside of your door?"

"Yes," I answered, rather startled at this question.

"Keep it bolted, then," he said. "The fell is a strange place. You
never know who may be about. It is as well to be on the safe side.
Goodbye." He raised his hat, turned on his heel and lounged away along
the bank of the little stream.

I was still standing with my hand upon the latch, gazing after my
unexpected visitor, when I became aware of yet another dweller in the
wilderness. Some distance along the path which the stranger was taking
there lay a great grey boulder, and leaning against this was a small,
wizened man, who stood erect as the other approached, and advanced to
meet him. The two talked for a minute or more, the taller man nodding
his head frequently in my direction, as though describing what had passed
between us. Then they walked on together, and disappeared in a dip of
the fell. Presently I saw them ascending once more some rising ground
farther on. My acquaintance had thrown his arm round his elderly friend,
either from affection or from a desire to aid him up the steep incline.
The square burly figure and its shrivelled, meagre companion stood out
against the sky-line, and turning their faces, they looked back at me. At
the sight, I slammed the door, lest they should be encouraged to return.
But when I peeped from the window some minutes afterward, I perceived
that they were gone.

All day I bent over the Egyptian papyrus upon which I was engaged; but
neither the subtle reasonings of the ancient philosopher of Memphis, nor
the mystic meaning which lay in his pages, could raise my mind from the
things of earth. Evening was drawing in before I threw my work aside in
despair. My heart was bitter against this man for his intrusion.
Standing by the beck which purled past the door of my cabin, I cooled my
heated brow, and thought the matter over. Clearly it was the small
mystery hanging over these neighbours of mine which had caused my mind to
run so persistently on them. That cleared up, they would no longer cause
an obstacle to my studies. What was to hinder me, then, f