er time, when I may have more to say
to you. For the present leave me. I arrived here early this morning,
having been invited to a friend's house. It is time for me to make my
appearance. Till we meet again, farewell. And, doctor," said I, "you
will keep this matter secret, eh?"

"Very well," said he, with a smile which seemed to me forced in order to
disguise his emotion, for I noticed that he turned away his head
suddenly, shook my hand, and walked away hurriedly.

We had both of us left the cemetery, and about half-a-mile further on
led me to the door of my friend's house.

I tried to assume an air of indifference before my friend, and
discoursed on various topics; nevertheless, he noticed that my hand
trembled, and that I seemed distracted. I said I had been a little out
of health lately, and was glad of a little change of air.

"My doctor, Mr. Merrivale," said he, "will be here to-day to look at the
children. If you would like to see him----"

"Thank you, thank you; but I hope it is nothing worth mentioning."

In the afternoon Merrivale arrived, and I managed to find an opportunity
of speaking with him alone. I inquired after the family E----n, and was
informed that Maud had died suddenly in a trance, and he had been called
too late. That her two sisters were engaged to be married. That Maud had
spoken much of me before her last fit, and had given out some strange
mysterious hints of a certain power I had over her, and nothing could
induce her mother and sisters to believe otherwise than that I had cast
an evil spell over her.

He added that her father was more reasonable, and did not believe in
those things. The family would be sure to hear of my arrival in the
village, therefore I resolved to call on an early opportunity. I did so,
and was well received by Maud's father, he having been intimate with
mine, but by the mother and sisters with rigid coldness. They did not
even offer me their hand. I expected this, but nevertheless felt it my
duty to call. I made some slight allusion to Maud's death in as delicate
a way as I could, but was checked in the midst of my remarks by scornful
glances from the mother and sisters.

I left the house, and I need hardly say that this was my last call on
that family, although the master of the house wrung my hand cordially,
and said he should be always glad to see me when chance led me to those
parts.

I returned to my friend's house, where I tried to divert myself with