rest. The boy had not
suffered much by sleeping on the tail of the cart in the warm summer's
night, and was now greatly refreshed by the cleanliness and comparative
luxury of his new surroundings. He had no fever now and had slept
quietly for two hours, but when he tried to remember what had happened
to him, where he had been, and how he had come to the place where he
was, it all grew vague and intricate by turns, and his memories faded
away like the dreams we try to recall when we can only just recollect
that we have had a dream of some sort. He knew that he was called
Marcello, but the rest was gone; he knew that a beautiful creature had
taken care of him, and that her name was Regina. How long? How many days
and nights had he lain in the attic, hot by day and cold at night? He
could not guess, and it tired him to try.

The doctor asked two or three questions while he examined him, and then
stood quite still for a few seconds, watching him intently. The two
young house surgeons who accompanied the great man kept a respectful
silence, waiting for his opinion. When he found an interesting case he
sometimes delivered a little lecture on it, in a quiet monotonous tone
that did not disturb the other patients. But to-day he did not seem
inclined to talk.

"Convalescent," he said, "at least of the fever. He needs good food
more than anything else. In two days he will be walking about."

He passed on, but in his own mind he was wondering what was the matter
with the young man, why he had lost his memory, and what accident had
brought him alone and friendless to one of the city hospitals. For the
present it would be better to let him alone rather than tire him by a
thorough examination of his head. There was probably a small fracture
somewhere at the back of the skull, the doctor thought, and it would be
easy enough to find it when the patient was strong enough to sit up.

The doctor had not been long gone when an elderly man with a grizzled
moustache and thoughtful eyes was led to Marcello's bedside by the
Superintendent himself. The appearance of the latter at an unusual hour
was always an event in the ward, and the nurses watched him with
curiosity. They would have been still more curious had they known that
the elderly gentleman was the Chief of the Police himself. The
Superintendent raised his hand to motion them away.

"What is your name, sir?" asked the Chief, bending down and speaking in
a low voice.

"Marcello.