f as an American thoroughly conversant
with the French language, in order that if the inventor did at any
time disclose his secret, France alone should benefit thereby. On
pretext of returning to Europe, he resigned his position at the New
Jersey manufactory, and changed his name so that none should know what
had become of him.

Thus it came to pass that Simon Hart, alias Gaydon, had been an
attendant at Healthful House for fifteen months. It required no little
courage on the part of a man of his position and education to perform
the menial and exacting duties of an insane man's attendant; but, as
has been before remarked, he was actuated by a spirit of the purest
and noblest patriotism. The idea of depriving Roch of the legitimate
benefits due to the inventor, if he succeeded in learning his secret,
never for an instant entered his mind.

He had kept the patient under the closest possible observation for
fifteen months yet had not been able to learn anything from him,
or worm out of him a single reply to his questions that was of the
slightest value. But he had become more convinced than ever of the
importance of Thomas Roch's discovery, and was extremely apprehensive
lest the partial madness of the inventor should become general, or
lest he should die during one of his paroxysms and carry his secret
with him to the grave.

This was Simon Hart's position, and this the mission to which he had
wholly devoted himself in the interest of his native country.

However, notwithstanding his deceptions and troubles, Thomas Roch's
physical health, thanks to his vigorous constitution, was not
particularly affected. A man of medium height, with a large head,
high, wide forehead, strongly-cut features, iron-gray hair and
moustache, eyes generally haggard, but which became piercing and
imperious when illuminated by his dominant idea, thin lips closely
compressed, as though to prevent the escape of a word that could
betray his secret--such was the inventor confined in one of
the pavilions of Healthful House, probably unconscious of his
sequestration, and confided to the surveillance of Simon Hart the
engineer, become Gaydon the warder.

CHAPTER II.

COUNT D'ARTIGAS.

Just who was this Count d'Artigas? A Spaniard? So his name would
appear to indicate. Yet on the stern of his schooner, in letters of
gold, was the name _Ebba_, which is of pure Norwegian origin. And had
you asked him the name of the captain of the _Ebba_