complete--there were many who had visited him in his own place of
business and put such questions concerning the judge and his
eccentric manner of living as must have provoked response had the
young man had any response to give. But he appeared to have none.
Either he was as ignorant as themselves of the causes which had
led to his father's habit of extreme isolation, or he showed
powers of dissimulation hardly in accordance with the other traits
of his admirable character.

All of which closed inquiry in this direction, but left the maw of
curiosity unsatisfied.

And unsatisfied it had remained up to this hour, when through
accident--or was it treachery--the barrier to knowledge was down
and the question of years seemed at last upon the point of being
answered.




II

WAS HE LIVING?--WAS HE DEAD?


Meantime, a fussy, talkative man was endeavouring to impress the
rapidly collecting crowd with the advisability of their entering
all together and approaching the judge in a body.

"We can say that we felt it to be our dooty to follow this woman