went
back to town instantly.

This was an example of many such blind ventures; all carried out in the
face of the feeling of despair which racked him; and the time glided on,
with hope goading him to fresh exertions in the morning, despair bidding
him, in the darkness of the night, give up, and accept his fate.

In course of time, Stratton visited every place in England that he could
recall as one of Brettison's haunts, but always with the same result;
and then in a blind, haphazard way, he began to wander about town.

The consequence was that he was rarely at his rooms, and letter after
letter was left for him by Guest, who reiterated his demands to see him,
and asked for appointments in vain.

But, in spite of the constant checks to which he was subjected, the
desire to find his old friend only increased; and, after sitting half
the night thinking what to do next, Stratton would snatch a few hours'
sleep, and start off again, feeling sure that he had hit upon the right
clue at last.

For there was always some place that he had not searched. The greater
museums and institutes he had visited again and again, and at all hours,
hoping to find the old man buried in some book, or closely examining
some specimen; but the minor places only came to mind by degrees, and
day succeeded day in which he went about, haggard and weary-eyed, always
looking for the slight, grey old man from whom he had parted on what was
to have been his wedding day.

And all the time he had a kind of presentiment that the old man was
aware of the search being carried on after him, and was, consequently,
hiding away, but, perhaps, keeping an eye upon his proceedings.

It was impossible to give up, for he felt that the old man must at any
cost be found; and at last he spent his days wandering dreamily about
the streets, trying to solve the difficulty--watching the passers-by,
and asking himself whether there were any means he had left untried--
whether there was any friend or acquaintance he could question as to his
whereabouts.

But Brettison had no friends or acquaintances, as far as he knew. He
had been to his solicitor, who smiled, and said that his client was, in
all probability, studying mosses or lichens in the Alps, and would come
back some day; to his banker, who was reticent at first, and then, upon
seeing his visitor's anxiety, readily stated that his cheques had been
cashed quite lately, which proved him to be about, but where he