The moment Mr. Elster set eyes on the dark one, he felt that he saw the
man Pike before him. It happened that he had not met him during these few
days of his sojourn; but some of the men staying at Hartledon had, and
had said what a loose specimen he appeared to be. The other was a
stranger, and did not look like a countryman at all.

Mr. Elster saw them both give a sharp look at him as he approached;
and then they spoke together. Both stepped off the bridge, as though
deferring to him, and stood aside as they watched him cross over, Pike
touching his wide-awake.

"Good-day, my lord."

Val nodded by way of answer, and continued his stroll onwards. In the
look he had taken at Pike, it struck him he had seen the face before:
something in the countenance seemed familiar to his memory. And to his
surprise he saw that the man was young.

The supposed reminiscence did not trouble him: he was too pre-occupied
with thoughts of his own affairs to have leisure for Mr. Pike's. A short
bit of road, and this rude, sheltered part of the way terminated in more
open ground, where three paths diverged: one to the front of Hartledon;
one to some cottages, and on through the wood to the high-road; and one
towards the Rectory and Calne. Rural paths still, all of them; and the
last was provided with a bench or two. Val Elster strolled on almost to
the Rectory, and then turned back: he had no errand at Calne, and the
Rectory he would rather keep out of just now. When he reached the little
bridge Pike was on it alone; the other had disappeared. As before, he
stepped off to make way for Mr. Elster.