th out of him. His beaver hat,
which he had retained on his head till this moment, he now placed under
the seat, where he sat absolutely motionless till the end of the first
act, as if he were indulging in a monologue which did not quite reach
his lips.

When Paula entered at the beginning of the second act he showed as much
excitement as was expressed by a slight movement of the eyes. When she
spoke he turned to his next neighbour, and asked him in cold level words
which had once been English, but which seemed to have lost the accent
of nationality: 'Is that the young woman who is the possessor of this
castle--Power by name?'

His neighbour happened to be the landlord at Sleeping-Green, and he
informed the stranger that she was what he supposed.

'And who is that gentleman whose line of business seems to be to make
love to Power?'

'He's Captain De Stancy, Sir William De Stancy's son, who used to own
this property.'

'Baronet or knight?'

'Baronet--a very old-established family about here.'

The stranger nodded, and the play went on, no further word being spoken
till the fourth act was reached, when the stranger again said, without
taking his narrow black eyes from the stage: 'There's something in that
love-making between Stancy and Power that's not all sham!'

'Well,' said the landlord, 'I have heard different stories about that,
and wouldn't be the man to zay what I couldn't swear to. The story is
that Captain De Stancy, who is as poor as a gallicrow, is in full cry
a'ter her, and that his on'y chance lies in his being heir to a title
and the wold name. But she has not shown a genuine hanker for anybody
yet.'

'If she finds the money, and this Stancy finds the name and blood,
'twould be a very neat match between 'em,--hey?'

'That's the argument.'

Nothing more was said again for a long time, but the stranger's eyes
showed more interest in the passes between Paula and De Stancy than they
had shown before. At length the crisis came, as described in the last
chapter, De Stancy saluting her with that semblance of a kiss which gave
such umbrage to Somerset. The stranger's thin lips lengthened a couple
of inches with satisfaction; he put his hand into his pocket, drew out
two half-crowns which he handed to the landlord, saying, 'Just applaud
that, will you, and get your comrades to do the same.'

The landlord, though a little surprised, took the money, and began to
clap his hands as desired. The example wa