She jumped back, upsetting her chair in her bewilderment. "Me!" with a
scream, and then fell into a sort of hysterical laugh. "I wouldna say but
what I would go; but what would the folk say to hear of Cornel Mortimer
with an auld silly woman at his heels?"

The suggestion made me laugh too, though I had little inclination for it.
"I'm sorry you have so little spirit, Jarvis," I said. "I must find some
one else, I suppose."

Jarvis, touched by this, began to remonstrate, but I cut him short. My
butler was a soldier who had been with me in India, and was not supposed
to fear anything,--man or devil,--certainly not the former; and I felt
that I was losing time. The Jarvises were too thankful to get rid of me.
They attended me to the door with the most anxious courtesies. Outside,
the two grooms stood close by, a little confused by my sudden exit. I
don't know if perhaps they had been listening,--as least standing as near
as possible, to catch any scrap of the conversation. I waved my hand to
them as I went past, in answer to their salutations, and it was very
apparent to me that they also were glad to see me go.

And it will be thought very strange, but it would be weak not to add,
that I myself, though bent on the investigation I have spoken of, pledged
to Roland to carry it out, and feeling that my boy's health, perhaps his
life, depended on the result of my inquiry,--I felt the most
unaccountable reluctance to pass these ruins on my way home. My curiosity
was intense; and yet it was all my mind could do to pull my body along. I
daresay the scientific people would describe it the other way, and
attribute my cowardice to the state of my stomach. I went on; but if I
had followed my impulse, I should have turned and bolted. Everything in