ulated to
draw a tear from even a manly eye, "I am weak, but not so weak yet as
that I don't know my words. I repeat them, Doctor. The strange young
man." It then appeared that Pickleson, being forced to stretch his legs
(not that they wanted it) only at times when he couldn't be seen for
nothing, to wit in the dead of the night and towards daybreak, had twice
seen hanging about my carts, in that same town of Lancaster where I had
been only two nights, this same unknown young man.

It put me rather out of sorts. What it meant as to particulars I no more
foreboded then than you forebode now, but it put me rather out of sorts.
Howsoever, I made light of it to Pickleson, and I took leave of
Pickleson, advising him to spend his legacy in getting up his stamina,
and to continue to stand by his religion. Towards morning I kept a look
out for the strange young man, and--what was more--I saw the strange
young man. He was well dressed and well looking. He loitered very nigh
my carts, watching them like as if he was taking care of them, and soon
after daybreak turned and went away. I sent a hail after him, but he
never started or looked round, or took the smallest notice.

We left Lancaster within an hour or two, on our way towards Carlisle.
Next morning, at daybreak, I looked out again for the strange young man.
I did not see him. But next morning I looked out again, and there he was
once more. I sent another hail after him, but as before he gave not the
slightest sign of being anyways disturbed. This put a thought into my
head. Acting on it I watched him in different manners and at different
times not necessary to enter into, till I found that this strange young
man was deaf and dumb.

The discovery turned me over, because I knew that a part of that
establishment where she had been was allotted to young men (some of them
well off), and I thought to myself, "If she favours him, where am I? and
where is all that I have worked and planned for?" Hoping--I must confess
to the selfishness--that she might _not_ favour him, I set myself to find
out. At last I was by accident present at a meeting between them in the
open air, looking on leaning behind a fir-tree without their knowing of
it. It was a moving meeting for all the three parties concerned. I knew
every syllable that passed between them as well as they did. I listened
with my eyes, which had come to be as quick and true with deaf and dumb
conversation as my