ght. The clouds drifted fast, shutting out
the moon at intervals, and the sea broke harshly along the strand.

"I cannot tell you the rush of strange and painful emotions which came
upon me as I thus walked along, while not a word passed between us.
As for myself, I felt that the slightest word from me might, perhaps,
change the whole current of his thoughts, and thus destroy my only
chance of any clew to what was passing within him. 'Are you cold?' said
he, at length, feeling possibly a slight tremor in my arm. 'Not cold,
exactly,' said I, 'but the night is fresh, and I half suspect too fresh
for _you_.' 'Feel that,' said he, placing his hand in mine; and it was
burning. 'The breeze that comes off the sea is grateful to me, for I am
like one on fire.' Then I am certain, my dear Glencore,' said I, 'that
this is a great imprudence. Let us turn back, towards the inn.'

"He made no reply, but with a rough motion of his arm moved forward
as before. 'Three hours and more,' said he, with a full and stern
utterance, 'they kept me waiting. There were Ministers with the King;
there was some foreign envoy, too, to be presented; and if I had not
gone in alone and unannounced, I might still be in the ante-chamber.
How he stared at me, Harcourt, and my close-cropped hair. It was
_that_ seemed first to strike him, as he said, "Have you had an illness
lately?" He looked poorly, too, bloated and pale, and like one who
fretted, and I told him so. "We are both changed, sir," said I,--"sadly
changed since we met last. We might almost begin to hope that another
change is not far off,--the last and the best one." I don't remember
what he answered. It was, I think, something about who came along with
me from town, and who was with me at Brighton,--I forget exactly; but I
know that he sent for Knighton, and made him feel my pulse. "You'll find
it rapid enough, I 've no doubt, Sir William," said I. "I rose from a
sick bed to come here; his Majesty had deigned to wish to see me." Then
the King stopped me, and made a sign to Knighton to withdraw.

"'Was n't it a strange situation, Harcourt, to be seated there beside
the King, alone? None other present,--all to ourselves,--talking as you
and I might talk of what interested us most of all the world; and _he_
showing me that letter,--the letter that ought to have come to _me_. How
he could do it I know not. Neither you nor I, George, could have done
so; for, after all, she was, ay, and she _is_, h