the worse for it, either." He
handed it over to Tristrem. "I dreamt about you last night," he added.

"That's odd," Tristrem answered, "I dreamed about you." The man laughed
at this as had he never heard anything so droll. "Well, I swan!" he
exclaimed, and cracked his whip with delight. His horse started. "Here,"
he said, "I near forgot. Whoa, there, can't you. This goes with the
hat." And he crumpled a handkerchief in his hand, and tossing it to
Tristrem, he let the horse continue his way unchecked.

The hat which the man had found did not indeed look as though it had
passed a night on the roadside. Save for an incidental speck or two it
might have come fresh from a bandbox. Tristrem carried it into the
cottage, and was placing it on the hall-table when Mrs. Raritan
appeared.

"I am so sorry," she began, "Viola has told me----"

"How is she? May I not see her?"

"She scarcely slept last night."

Tristrem looked in the lady's face. The lids of her eyes were red and
swollen.

"But may I not see her? May I not, merely for a moment."

"She is sleeping now," Mrs. Raritan answered; "perhaps," she added, "it
is better that you should not. The doctor has been here. He says that
she should be quiet. But you will come back, will you not? Truly I
sympathize with you."

Mrs. Raritan's eyes filled with tears, but to what they were due, who
shall say? She seemed to Tristrem unaccountably nervous and distressed.

"There is nothing serious the matter, is there?" he asked, anxiously.
And at the question, Mrs. Raritan almost choked. She shook her head,
however, but Tristrem was not assured. "I _must_ see her," he said, and
he made as would he mount the stair.

"Mr. Varick! she is asleep. She has had a wretched night. When you are
able to come back, it will be different. But if you care for her, let
her be."

The protest was almost incoherent. Mrs. Raritan appeared beside herself
with anxiety.

"Forgive me," said Tristrem, "I did not mean to vex you. Nor would I
disturb her." He paused a second, dumbly and vaguely afflicted. "You
will tell her, will you not?" he added; "tell her this, that I wanted to
see her. Mrs. Raritan, my whole life is wrapped up in her." He hesitated
again. "You are tired too, I can see. You were up with her last night,
were you not?"

Mrs. Raritan bowed her head.

"You must forgive me," he repeated, "I did not understand. Tell me," he
continued, "last night I awoke thinking that I heard her ca