The beautiful Cephalis, being thus freed from his surveillance, was
enabled, during the course of the evening, to develop to his preserver
the full extent of her gratitude.

Mr. Escot passed a sleepless night, the ordinary effect of love,
according to some amatory poets, and arose with the first peep of day.
He sallied forth to enjoy the balmy breeze of morning, which any but a
lover might have thought too cool; for it was an intense frost, the sun
had not risen, and the wind was rather fresh from the north-east. But a
lover is supposed to have "a fire in his heart and a fire in his brain,"
and the philosopher walked on, careless of whither he went, till he
found himself near the enclosure of a little mountain chapel. Passing
through the wicket, and peeping through the chapel window, he could not
refrain from reciting a verse in Greek aloud, to the great terror of the
sexton, who was just entering the churchyard.

Mr. Escot at once decided that now was the time to get extensive and
accurate information concerning his theory of the physical deterioration
of man.

"You have been sexton here," said Mr. Escot, in the language of Hamlet,
"man and boy, forty years."

The sexton turned pale; the period named was so nearly the true.

"During this period you have, of course, dug up many bones of the people
of ancient times. Perhaps you can show me a few."

The sexton grinned a ghastly smile.