to see if his visitors, who sat there, wanted anything. A curious
awkwardness and melancholy about the behaviour of the girl who
called, caused my informant to look frequently at her through the
partition. She seemed weary of her life, and sat with her face
buried in her hands, evidently quite out of her element in such a
house. Then a woman much older came in and greeted Miss Taylor by
name. The man distinctly heard the following words pass between
them:--

'"Why have you not brought him?"

'"He is ill; he is not likely to live through the night."

'At this announcement from the elderly woman, the young lady fell to
the floor in a swoon, apparently overcome by the news. The landlord
ran in and lifted her up. Well, do what they would they could not
for a long time bring her back to consciousness, and began to be
much alarmed. "Who is she?" the innkeeper said to the other woman.
"I know her," the other said, with deep meaning in her tone. The
elderly and young woman seemed allied, and yet strangers.

'She now showed signs of life, and it struck him (he was plainly of
an inquisitive turn), that in her half-bewildered state he might get
some information from her. He stooped over her, put his mouth to
her ear, and said sharply, "What's your name?" "To catch a woman
napping is difficult, even when she's half dead; but I did it," says
the gatekeeper. When he asked her her name, she said immediately--

'"Cytherea"--and stopped suddenly.'