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6 - .. development. She waited tai Obenreizer's < waa off ber, and then she looked at Vendale a dimly winked. The time passed; the happy evenings w Marguerite carno and went, lt wau tho tei morning since Vendale had written to the Sv? Him, when the answer appeared on bia de with tbe other letters of the day : "DEAR SIM: We beg to offer our excuses for little mifttake which baa happened. At the sa tune we regret to add that the statement of our erl with which you have favored us, han led to a v unexpected discovery. The affair is a most serii one for you and tor us. The particulars are as lows: "Having no more champagne of the vintage 1 sent to you, we made arrangements to credit your fi with the value of the six cases, as suggested by yo self. On taking thia step, certain lorms observed our moue of doing business necessitated a reference oar bankers' book, as well as to our ledger. The res is a moral certainty tuiit no suoh remittance ss 3 mention can have leached onr house, ?nd a literal c taiuty that no euch remittance hos boen paid to < account at the bank. a. .. It is needless, at this stage of the proceeding?, trouble you with details. The money hos unqucsd< ably been stolen in tho course of its transit from y to us. Certain peculiarities which wc observe, relati to the manner in which the fraud has been per, etrai lead us t > conclude that the thief may have calculai oa beiug able to pay the missing sum to our bauki before an inevitable discovery followed the anni striking of our balance. This wonld not have hi S?ned, ia tho usual course, for another three monti ruing that period, but for your letter, we m?^ht hi remained perfectly unconscious of the robbery tl has been coinmittrd " We mention this lust circumstance, as it may ht to show you that we have to do. in this case, with : ordinary thief. Thns far we have not even a BI picton of who that thief is. But we behove you w assist us In making some advance toward discovci by examining the receipt (forged, of coarse) which h no doubt purported to come to you from our bom Be pleased to look and see whether it is a receipt e tlrely in manuscript, or whether it is a numbered ai printed toroa which merely requires the filling in the amount. The settlement of this apparently trivi question ie. we assure you, a matter of vital luipe tance. Anxiously awaiting your reply, we remai With high esteem and consideration, " Dili RESNIEB & CIE." Vendale laid the letter on his desk and waite a moment to steady his mind under the shoe that bad fallen on it. At tbe time of all othei when lt waa most important to him to in?rese the value of hiB business, that business wt threatened with a loss ot live hundred ponndi He thought of Marguerite as he took the ke from his pocket and opened tbe'iron chamber i tho wail in which tne books and papera of th Arm were kept. He was still in the chamber searching for th forged receipt when be was startled by a voie speaking close behind him. " A thousand DardonB," said the voice ; "I ai afraid I disturb you." ~\a turned and found himself face to face wit] Mwguerite's guardian. ' " I have called," pursued Obenreizer, " t know if I con be of any ure. Business of m, own takes me away for some days to Manches ter and Liverpool. Can I combine any bnsinesi of yours with it ? I am entirely at your disposa in the character of commercial traveler for tnt linn of Wilding Si Go." " Excuse me for one moment." said Vendale " I will speaK to yon directly." He turned rounc again and continued his search among tnt papers. " Yon come at a time when friend]] Oders are more than usually precious to me," ht resumed. " I have had very bad news thu morning from Neuchatel." " Bad news I*' exclaimed Obenreizer. "From Befresnier ? Company ?" " Yes. A remi tance we sent to them bas 3eon stolen. I am threatened with a loss of irv? nundred pounds. What's that !" . Turning sharply and looking into the room fox the second time, Vendale discovered his en Telope-case overthrown on the door, and Oben? reizer on bis knees picking up the contents. "All my awkwardness!" said Obenreizer. "This dreadful news of yours startled me; I Stepped back-" He became too deeply inter? ested in collecting the scattered envelopes to finish the sentence. "Don't tronbie yourself," said Vendale. "The clerk will pick the things up." "This dreadful news!" repeated Obenreizer, persisting In collecting the envelopes. "This dreadful news !" "If you will read the letter." said Vendale, yon v il find I have exaggerated nothing. There ic is*, open on my desk." He resumed hiB search, and in a moment more discovered the forged receipt. It was on the numbered and printed form described by the Swiss firm. Veudale made a memorandum of the number and date. Having replaced the re? ceipt and locked np the iron chamber, be had leisure to notice Obenreizer, reading the letter in the reoees of a window at the far end of the room. " Come to the fire," said Vendale. " You look perished with the cold out there. I will ring for some more coal?." Obenreizer rose, and came slowly back to tbe desk. " Marguerite will be as sorry to hear ot this as I am," he said, kindly. " What do yon mean to do ?" "I am in the bands of Defresnier and Com? pany," answered Vendale. "In mv total ig? norance of the circumstances, I can only do what they recommend. The receipt which I have just found turns ont to be the num? bered and printed form. They seem to at? tach some special importance to its discovery. You have bad experience when vdu were in the Swiss bouse of their way of doing business. Can yon guess what objeot they have in view ?" Obenreizer offered a suggestion. *. Suppose I examine the receipt ?" he said. " Are you ill ?" asked Vendale, startled by the change in his face, which now showed itself ?lainly for the first time. " Pray go to the fire, on seem to be shivering ; I hope yon are not going to be ill ?" " riot 11 " said Obenreizer. " Perhaps I have caught cold. Your English climate might have npared an admirer of your English institutions. Let me look at the receipt.*1 Vendale opened the iron chamber. Obenreizer took a chair and drew it close to the fire. He held both hands over the flames. "Let me look lit the receipt," be repeated eagerly, as Vendale reappeared with the paper in his hand. At the "ame moment a porter entered the room with a ussh supply of coals. Vendale told him to make ?x good liri. The man obeyed the order with a TiBastrons alacrity. As he stepped forward and raised the scuttle his foot caught in a fold of the rag, and be discharged his entire cargo of coals into the grate. The result was an instant Hmothering of the flame and the production of a tr earn of yellow smoke, without a visible morsel . -jf fire to account for it. " Imbecile I" whispered Obenreizer to him ?elf, with a look at the man which the roan re ? membered for many a long day afterward. " Will you come into the clerks' room V" asked ^Vendale. "They have a stove there." " No, no. No natter." Vendale banded him the receipt. Obonreizor's Interest in examining it appeared to hare been j quenched as suddenly and as effectually as the 'Aire itself. He just glanced over the document, %tnd said. "No ; I don't understand il I I am korry to be of no use." yf~ .'I will write to Neuchatel by to-night'9 post," Vaid Vendale, putting away the receipt for the "Jeecond time. "We must wait, and see what jcomes of lt." ' -'By to-night's post, repeated Obenreizer. }'!*"Let me Bee. You will get the answer in eight or nine day's time. I shall bo back before that. If I can be of any sen ice, as commercial t rav? ir] er, perpaps you will let me know between tbis tand then. You will send me written instruc? tions ? My best thanks. I shall be most anx- 1 j?OJW tot yow answer from Neuchatel, Who ? knows? It may be & mistake, my dear fri enc after all. Courage 1 courage I courage 1" E had entered the room with no appearance of bi ing pressed for time. He now snatched up b: hat, and took his leave with tbe arr of a ma who bad not another momont to lose. Left by himself, V?ndalo took a turn though fully in the room. His previous impression of Obenreizer wi shaken by what he bad beard and seen at tb interview which had just taken place. He wi i disposed, for the first time, to doubt whether, i this case, he had not been a little hasty and har in his judgment on another man. Obenreizer surprise and regret, on hearing the news fror Neuchatel, bore the plainest marks of bein honestly felt-not politely assumed for the ot easton. With troubles of his own to encountei suffering, to all appearance, from the first ir siciious attack of a serious illness, he had looke and spoken like a mau who really deplored the die aster that had fallen on his friend. Hither to. Vcr dale had tried vainly to alter his first opinion c Marguerite's guardian, for Marguerite's sake All the generous instincts in hui nature noi combined together and shook the evideoc which bad seemed unanswerable np to this time ! "Who knows?" he thought, "I may have rca that man's face wrongly, after alb" The time passed; the happy evenings witl Marguerite came and went ft waa again fl tenth morning since Vendale had written to th b vf ins firm, and again the answer appeared o; his desk with the other letters of the day : Dnxn BIBS: MT senior partner, M. Deiresnier, ba been called away by urgent business to Milan. In bl absence (sad with bia full concurrence and authority I now write to you again on the subject of the m la Bin, five hundred pounds. " Your discovery that the forged receipt ls execute? upon one of our numbered and printed forms, ha caused inexpressible surprise and distress to my pari uer and myself. At the time when your remittano waa stolen, but three beys were in existence openini the atrorg box ia which our receipt-lorms are lava nably kept. My partner bad one key ; I bad the other The third waa to the possession nf a gentleman who at that period, occupied a position of trust ba on house. We should aa soon have thought of suspect lng one of ourselves aa of suspecting this person. Sus picion BOW poluta at him, nevertheless. I cannot pre vail on myself to inform you who the person ls, sc long aa there ls the shadow of a chance that ba maj come innocently out of the inquiry which must nov be instituted. Forgive my allanes, the motive of it ti good. " The form our investigation must now take is aim Ele enough. The handwriting on your receipt mus? e compared, by competent persona whom wa hiv? at our disposal, with certain specimens of handwriting in our pobsc?sion. I cannot tend you the specimens, for business reasons, wolca, when you hear them, you are sore to approve. I muat beg you to send mi the receipt in Neuchatel, and, ba making thia re quest, I moat accompany lt by a word of nocessarj warning. " lithe person at whom suspicion now pointa really proves to be the person who has committed this for gery and theft, I have reason to fear that arcum B tances may have already put bim on bia guard. Th? only evidence against him ia the evidence In youl bunda, and be will move heaven and earth to obum and destroy lt. I strongly urge you not to trust tb? receipt to the post. Bead lt to me, without loaa ol time, by a private hand, and choose nobody for your messenger but a person long established in your own employment, accustomed to traveling, capable of speaking French ; a man of courage, a man of honesty, and, above all things a man who eau be trusted to let no ?tranger scrape acquaintance with htm on tbs route. Tell no one-absolutely no one- but your mes? senger of the turn this matter has now token. The sale transit of the receipt may depend on your Inter? preting literally the advice which I give you at the end of thia letter. " I have now only to add that every possible saving of time ta now of the laat importance. More than one of our receipt forms is .masing, and lt ta impossible to say what new frauda may not be committed If we fail to lay our Uanda on th? thief. Your faithful aoxvant." "ROLLAND. " (Signing for Def recolar at Co)." Who was the suspected man? In Vendale's position, it seemed useless to inquire. WLo was to be sent to Neuchatel with the re ceipt ? Men of courage and men of honesty were to be bad at Cripple Corner for the asking. Bat where was tba man who waa accustomed to foreign traveling, who could speak the French l'inguage, ana wno could be really relied on to let no stranger scrape acquaintance with him on his route ? There waa but one man at hand who combined all those requisites in his own person, and that man was Vendale himself. It waa a sacrifice to leave his business ; it waa a greater sacrifice to leave Marguerite. But a matter of five Lnndrea pounds was involved in the pending inquiry ; and a literal interpreta? tion cf M. Rolland's advice waa insisted on in terms which there waa no trifling with. The more Vendale thought of it, the more plainly the necessity iaoed him, and said, " Qo 1" As he locked np the letter with the receipt, the association of ideas reminded him of Oben? reizer. A guess at the identity of the suspected man looked more poasibie now. Obenreizer might know. The thought bad barely passed through his mind when tbe door opened, and Obenreizer en? tered the room. " They told me at Boho Square you were ex Eected back last night," said Vendale, greeting im. "Have you done well in the country ? Are you better ?" A thousand thanks. Obenreizer bad done ad? mirably well. Obenreizer was infinitely better. And now, what newt ? Any letter from Neu? chatel ?" " A very strange letter," answered Vendale. " The matter has taken a new turn, and the let? ter insists-without excepting anybody-on my keeping our next proceedings a profound secret. "Without excepting anybody ?" repeated Oben? reizer. As he said the words he walked away again, thoughtfully, to tbe window at the otner end of the room, looked ont for a moment, and suddenly came back to Vendale. " Surely they must have forgotten?" ho resumed, "or they would not have excepted met" '. it is Monsieur BoUand who writes," said Vendale. "And, aa you say, he must certainly have forgotten. That view of the matter quito escaped me. I waa just wishing I had you to consult, when yon came into the room. And here I am tied by a formal prohibition, which cannot possibly have been intended to include yon. How very annoying I" Obenreizer s filmy eyes fixed on Vendale atten? tively. " Perhaps it is more than annoying I" he said. " I come this morning not only to hear the news, but to offer myself as messenger, negotiator what you will. Would you believe it f I have letters which oblige me to go to Switzerland im? mediately. Messages, documents, anything-I could have taken them all to Deiresnier and Rol? land for you.' " You are the very man I wanted," returned Vendale "I bad decided, most unwillingly, on going to Neuchatel myself, not fivo minutes since, because I could find no one here capa? ble of taking my place. Let me look at the letter again." He opened the strong room to get at the let? ter. Obenreizer, after first glancing round him to make sure that they were alone, followed a step or two and waited, measuring Vendale with bis eye. Vendale was the tallest man, acid unmistakably the strongest man also of the two. Obenreizer turned away, and warmed himself at tho fire. Meanwhile, Vendale read the last paragraph in the letter for the third time. Tbere was the plain warning-there was the closing sentence, whlcL. insisted on a literal interpretation of it. The hand which was leading V?ndalo in tho dark led him on that condition only. A large sum was at stake; a terrible suspicion re? mained to be verified. If he acted on his own responsibility, and if anything happened to de? feat the object in view, who would be blamed ? a.* a man of business. Vendale had but ane course to follow. He locked the letter up again. "It is most annoying," ho said to Obenrelze " it ls a pieuu of forgettulness on Monsieur Ro laud's part, which put? mu to serious inconvi monee, and places mo in an absurdly false pos tlon toward yon. What am 1 to do? I am ac ing in a vory Morions matter, and acting entire in tho dark. 1 have no choice but to be guide* not hy tho spirit, but bv tho lotter of my matrin tiona. You tindnrhtimd mo, I am sure? Yo know, If I had not boen fettered in this wa] how gladly 1 should have accepted your ser' ices?* "flayno morel" roturnod Obenreizer. "1 your placo I should dave dono the same. M good friend. I tsko no offense. I tbank you fe your ootnpllmeul. We sball be traveling cou pantons, at mtv rate," addod Obonreizer. "Yo go, an I go, at ouon V" "At oncn. I must ?peak to Marguerite firs of oourso I" '.Surely I surely I Speak to her this evening Como and pick me up on the way to tho statioi We go togethor i>y the mail train to-night ?" "Dy tho mail train to night." It was lutor Hun) Vendale had anticipate when ho drove up to the house in Soho Squan Business diflloulticw, oonaNioued by his sadde departure, had prcised themselves by doz^m A oruollv largo share of the time which, he ha boped to devote to Marguerite bad been dalmo by duties at his oflloe which lt was Impossible t neglect. To his surprise and delight, abe was alone t the drawiue-room when ho entered it. " We have only a few mluuteo, George," sh said. " But Madame Dor has been good to me and we ean have tboso few minuter, alone." 8h threw her arms ronnd his neck, and whisper e. eagerly, " Bave you done anything to offend Mi Obonreizer ?" " 11" eiolaimed Vendale, in amazement. " Hush I" she said, " I want to whisper lt. Yoi know the little photograph I havo got of you Ibis afternoon lt happened to be on the ohim ney-pieoe. He to k it nw and looked at it, and saw his fsce in the gla*s. I know you han offended him I He is morciless; be is revenge ful; be is as secret as tue grave. Don't go witl him. George-don't RO with him 1" " My own love," returned Vendale, " you ari letting your fancy frighten youl Obenreize and I were never bettor friends than we are a this moment." Before a word more could be said, the suddei movement of some ponderous body shook th? floor of the next room. The shock was foUowec by the appearance of Madame Der. " Oben reizerl" exclaimed this excellent person in i whisper, and plumped down instantly in her re gular place by the stove. . Obonreizer came in wit n a courier'] bag slrappec over bis shoulder. " Are you ready ?" be asked, addressing Vendale. " Can I take anything for you 1 You hare no traveling-bag. I have got one Here is the compartment for pairara, open al your service." "Thank you," said Vendale. "I have enlj one paper of importance with mo, and that papei I am bound to take charge of my self. Here ii is," he added, touching the breast -pocket of hil coat, "and here it must remain till we get tc NeachateL" As he said those words, Marguerite's band caught his, and pressed it signdican tly. She wai looking toward Obonreizer. Before Vendale could look, in bis turn, Obenreizer bsd wheeled round, ana was taking leave ot Madame Dor. "Adieu, my charming niece,'' he said, turning to Marguerite next. "lin routs, my friend, foi Nenchatell" He tapped Vendale lightly over the breast-pocket of bia coat, and led the way to the door. Vendale's last look was for Marguerite. Mar? guerite's last words to him were, "Don't go I" ACT ILL UT TEX VALLEY. It was about the middle of 'the month of Feb? ruary when Vendale and Obenreizer set forth on their expedition. The winter being a hard one, the time was bad for travelers, clo bad was it that these two travelere, coming to Strasburg, found ita great inca almost empty. And even the lew people they did encounter in tnat city, who had started from England or from Paris on business journeys toward the interior of Swit? zerland, were turning back. Many ol the railroads in Switzerland that tour? ists pass easily enough now, were almost or quite inpracticable then. Some were not begun; more were not completed. On such tts were open, there were still large gaps of old road where communication in the winter Beuton was often slopped; on others, there were Weak points where the new work was not st.fe. either under conditions of severe frost, or of rapid than. The running of trams on this last class waa not to be counted on in the worst time of the year, was contingent upon weatber, or was wholly aban? doned through the months considered the most dangerous. At Strasburg there were more travelers' stories afloat, respecting the difficulties of the way further on, than thero were travelers to re? late them. Many o" these tales were as wild as usual; but the more modestly marvelous did' derive some color from the circumstance that peop o were undisputably turning back. How? ever, aa the road to Basie wan open, Vendale's, resol otion to push on waa in nowise disturbed. Obenreizer's resolution was necessary Vendale's, seeing that be stood at bay thus desperately; he most be ruined, or must destroy the evidence that Vendale carried about hint, oven if bo de? stroyed Vendale with it. The state of mind of eaoh of those two fellow traw lera toward the other waa thia: Obenreizer, encircled by impending ruin through Vendale's quickness of action, and seeicg the circle nar? rowed every hour by V?ndalo s energy, hated him with the animosity of a fierce, cunning lower animal. Ho had always had instinctive movements in his breast against him; perhaps, because of tnat old Bore of gentleman and pea? sant; perhaps, because of the openuees of his nature; perhaps, because of his beuter looks; per? haps, because of his success with Marguerite; per? haps, on all those grounds, the tn o last hot the least. And now he eaw in him, besides, tho hunt r who was tmcking him down. Vendale, on the other hand, always contending generously against his first vague mistrust, now felt bound to contend against it more than ever, reminding himself, " He is Marguerite's guardian. We are on perfectly friendly terms ; he is my companion of his own proposal, and can have no interested motive in sharing this undesirable journey." To which pleas in behalf of Obonreizer, chance added ono consideration more, when they came to Basle, after a journey cf more than twice the average duration. They had had a late dinner, and were alone in an inn room there, overhanging the Bhine, at that place rapid and deep, swollen and loud. Vendale lounged upon a couch, and Obenreizer waikod to and fro-now stopping ht the window, looking at the crooked reflections of the town lights in tho dark water, (and peradventure thinking, "If 1 could fling him into it P) now resuming his walk with his eyes upon tho floor. "Where shall I rob him, if I can? Where shall 1 murder him, if I must 7" So, as he paced the room, ran the river, ran tbe mer, ran the river. The burden seemed to him, at last, to be crow? ing so plain that he stopped ; thinking it as well to suggeet another burden to his companion. "The Rhine tiounds to-night, ' he said, with a smile, " like the old waterfall at home. That watorfall which my mother allowed to travelers (I told vou of it once). The sound of it changed with the weatber, as does the sound of all falling waters and flowing watere. When I was pupil of tho watchmaker, 1 remembered it as some? times Baying to me for whole days, ' Who are you, my little wretch ? Who are you, my lit tl'i wretch?' I remembered it M saying, other times, when its Bound waa hollow and storm was coming np toe pass: 'Boots boom, boom. Bea; him, beat him, beat him. Like mr mother enraged-if ahe was rn; mother. " "If she was?" said Vendale, gradually chang lng his attitude to a sitting one. "If alie waa' Why do you Bay 'ii?'" " What do I know?" replied the other negli gently throwing up his hands and letting then fall as they would. "What yon would have ? ] am so obscurely born, that now can I say ? ] waa very young, and all the rest of the tamil] were men and women, and my so-called parenti were old. Anything is possible of % case hk< that?" "Did yon ever doubt- ?" "1 told you once, I doubt the marriage o: those two," he replied, throwing np hie nandi again, as if he were throwing the unprofitable subject away. " But here I am in creation. ] come of no fine family. What does it matter V " At least yon are Swiss," said Vendale, af toi following him with his eyes to and fro." "How do I know?" he retorted, abruptly, and ?topping to look over bia shoulder. "leay tc ?on. at least yon are English. How do you now?" "By what I have been told from1 infancy." " An I I know of myself that way." " And," added Vendale, pursuing the thought that he conld not drive back, " by my earliest recollections." "I also. I know of myself that way-if thal way satisfies." "Does it not satisfy von?" "It must. There ia nothing like Mt must' it this little world. It must. Two short words those, but stronger than long proof or reason? ing." " Yon and poor Wilding were born in the same year. Von were nearly of an age," said Ven? dale, again thoughtfully looking after him aa he resume d his pacing np and down. " Yes. Very nearly." Could Obenreizer be the missing man? Ia the unknown assoc mtiona of things, was there a subtle! meaning than" he ' himself thought, in that theory so often on his lips about the small? ness ol tho world ? Had the Swisa letter pro sec tin g him. followed ao close on Mrs. Gold straw's revelation concerning the infant who had been taken away to Switzerland, because he waa that infant grown a man ? In a world where so many depths he unsounded, it might be. The chances, or the laws-call them either-that bad wrought ont the revival of Vendale's own acquaintance with Obenreizer, and had ripened it into intimacy, and had brought them here to? gether this present winter night,were hardly less curious ; while read by such a light, they were seen to cohere toward Ure furtherance of a con? tinuous and an intelligible purpose. Vendale's awakened thoughts ran high while his eyes musingly followed Obenreizer pacing np and down the room, the river ever running to the tone: "Where shall I rob him, if lean? Where shall I murder him, if I must ?" The se? cret of his dead friend waa in no hazard from Vendale's lips ; but jost as his friend had died of its weight, so did he in his lighter succession feel the burden of the trust, ana the obligation to follow any cine, however obscure. He rapidly asked himself, would he like this man to be the real Wilding? No. Argne down bia mistrust aa he might, he waaf unwilling to pot such a Substitute in the place of bia late g?ilo lees, outspoken, childlike pa. mer. He rapidly asked himself, would he like this man to be rich? No. Be had more power than enough over Mar? guerite as it was, and wealth might inveet him with more. Would he like thu man to be Mar? guerite's guardian, and yet proved to stand in no degree of relationship toward her, however disconnected and distant ? No. But these were not considerations to come between him and fidelity to the dead. Let hun aee to it that they passed him with no other notice than the knowl? edge that they had passed him, and left him bent on the discharge of a solemn duty. And he did aee to it, BO soon that he followed hu companion with ungrudging eyes, while he still paced the room; that companion, whom he sup? posed to be moodily reflecting on bis own buln, and not on another man's-least of ?ll what man's-violent death. The road in advance from Basle to Neuchatel was better than had teen represented. .The latest weather bad done it good. Drivers, both of horses and mules, had come in that evening after dork, am' had reported nothing more diffi? cult to be overcome than trials of patience, har? ness, wheels, axles, and whipcord. A bargain was soon struck for a carriage and horses, to take them on in the morning, and to start before daylight. "Do you lock your door at night when travel? ing ?" asked Obenreizer, standing warming his ban dB by the wood fire in Vendale's chamber, before going to his own. " Not L I sleep to soundly." "You are so sound a sleeper?" he retorted, with aa admiring look. "What a blessing I" .'Anything but a blessing to the rest of the house," rejoined Vendale, "if I had to be knocked np m the morning from the outside of my bedroom door." "I too," said Obenreizer, "leave open my room. But let me advue you, as a Swiss who knows: always, when you travel in my country, put yonr papers-and, of course, your money under your pillow. Always the same place." " You are not complimentary to your country? men," laughed Vendale. " My countrymen,'' said Obenreizer, with that light touoh of his friend's elbows by way of good night and benediction, " I suppose, are like the majority of men. And the majority of men will take what they can get. Adieu 1 At four in the morning." " Adieu I At four." Loft lo himself, Vendale raked the logs to? gether, sprinkled over them the wiite wood ashes lying on the hearth, and sat down to com? pose his thoughts. But they still ran high on their latest theme, and the running of the river tended to agitate rather than to quiet them. Aa he sat thinking, what little disposition he had had to sleep departed. He felt it hopeless to lie down yet, and Bat dressed by the fire. Mar? guerite, Wilding, Obenreizer, the business he woe then upon, and a thousand hopes and doubt? that had nothing to do with it, occupied bia mind at once. Everything see m od to have power over him but slumber. The departed disposition to sleep kept far away. He had sat for a long time thinking on the hearth, when his candle burned down, and its light went out. It was of little moment; there was light enough in the fire. He changed his attitude, and leaning hm arm on the chair-back, and his chm upon that hand, sat thinking still. But be sat between the fire and the bed, and, as the fire nickered in the play of air from the fast flowing river, his enlarged shadow fluttered on the white wail by the bedside. His attitude gave it an air, half of mourning, and half of bending over the bed imploring. His eyes were observ? ant of it, when ne became troubled by the disa? greeable fancy that it was like Wilding's shadow, aud not his own. A slight change of place would cause it to dis? appear. He made the change, and the appari? tion of his disturbed fancy vanished. He now eat in the shade of a little nook beside the fire, and the door of tho room was before him. It had a long cumbrous iron latch. He saw the latch slowly and softly rise. The door opened a vciy little, and came to again; as though only tbe air had moved it. But he saw that the latch was out of the hasp. Tho door opened again very slowly, until it opened wide enough to admit some one. It af? terward remained still for a while, as though cautiously held open on the other side. The figure of a man then entered, with his face turned toward the bed. and stood quiet just witaia UM door, V&tli li mi? in * law cali whiuper, at the ?ame time taking one step for? ward, " Vendale I" " What now f" he answered, springing from his seat; " who is it I" It^waa-Oberrretzer, and he uttered a cry of sur? prise as Vendale came upon bim from that un expo?t?d d?eotion. "Not in bedr be said catching hun by both shoulders with an instinc? tive tendency to a struggle, " Then something ii wrong 1" "What do you mean?" said Vendale, releasing himself. " First tell me; you are not ill ?" "lil? No." " I have had a bad dream about you. How ii it that I see you up and dressed ?" My good follow, I may as well ask you how ia it that I soe you up and undressed." " I have told you why. I have had a bad dream about you. I tried to rest after it but it waa im? possible. I could not make up my mind to stay where I was without knowing yon ware safe; and ?et I could not make up my mind to come in here, hr.ve been minutes herniating at the door. It is so easy to laugh at a dream that you have not dreamed. Where is your candle ?" "Burnt out." " I have a whole one Li my room. Shall I fetch itr "Do io." His room was very near, and he waa absent fer but a few seconds. Coming back with the candle in Ids hand, he kneeled down on the hearth and lighted it. Aa ho blew with his breath a charred billet mto flame for the purpose, Vendale, jfook? mg down at him, saw that his hps were white and not easy of control. "Yeal" said Obenreizer, setting the lighted candle on the table, "it was a bad dream. Only look at mel" Etit feet were bare; his red flannel shirt wu thrown back at the throat, and its sleeves were rolled above the elbows; his only other garment, a pair of under pantaloons or drawers reaching to the ankles, fitted him oloae and tight. A cer? tain lithe and savage appearance waa on his figure, and bu eyes were very bright. 'If there had been a wrestle with a robber, aa I dreamed," said Obenreizer, "you see, I waa stripped for it. ' " And armed, too," said Vendale, glancing at his girdle. "A traveler's dagger, that I always carry on thc road," he answered carelessly, half drawing lt from ita sheath with his left hand, and put? ting; it back again. "Do you carry no snob thing?" "Nothing of the kind." "No pistole ?" said Obenreizer, glancing at th? tallie, and from lt to the untouched pillow. " Nothing of the sort," " YouKnglishmen ar? so confldeqtl You wish to ileep?" " I have wished to sleep this long time, but I cant do it." " I neither after th? bad dream. My fir* baa gone the way of your candle. May I oom? and ait by yours 7 Two o'clock! It will so soon be four, that it ia not worth the trouble to go to bed again." "I shall not take the trouble to go to bsd at all, now," ?aid Vendale: "ait here and keep rn? company, rind welcome." Going back to his room to arrange his dress. Obenreucetf soon returned in a loose cloak and shppers, and they sat down on opposite sides o? th i hearth. In the interval. Vendale had replen islied the fire from th? wood-basket in bis room, and Obenreizer had put on the table the flask and cup from his. * Common cabaret brandy, I am afraid," he ?aid, pouring out; "bought upon the road, and not like yours from Cripple Corner. But yours is exhausted; so much the woree? A cold night, a cold time of night, a cold country, and a cold house. This may be Letter than notniu' try it." Vendale took the cup. and did so. "How do you find it?" P " It has a coarse after-flavor," said Vendale, giving back the cup with a slight shudder, "'and I don't like it." "You are right," said Obenreizer, tasting, and smacking bis Una: "it nae a coarse after* flavor, and I dona like it. Booh! it burns, though 1" He bad flung what remained m th? cup, upoa the fire. Each ene of them leaned an elbow on the ta? ble, reclined his head upon bis band, and sat looking at the flaring logs. Obenreizer remained watchful and still : but Vendale, after certain nervous twitches and Jarte, in one of which he roje to bis feet and looked wildly about bim, tell iniio the strangest confusion of dreams. He car? ried his papers in a leather ease or pocket-book,, in an inner brlast-pocket of bis buttoned travel? ing coat ; and whatever he dreamed of,' in the lethargy that not possession of him. something importunate ut these papers caliea bim out ox that dream, though he could not wake from it. He waa bela tod on the steppes of Russia (some shadowy person gave that name to the place) witb Marguerite: and yet the sensation o?a hand at the breast, softly foeling the outline of th? pock e-book as he lay asleep before the fire, wt? present to him. He was shipwrecked in an open boat at sea, and having lost his clothes, bad no other covering than an old sail; and yet a creeping hand, tracing outside all the other pockets of the dress he actually wore, for papers, and finding none rnswer hui touch, warned him to rouse hin self. He was in the ancient vault at Cripple Corner, to which was transferred the very] bed substantial and present in that very room at Basle ; and Wilding (not dead, as he had supposed, and yet he did not wonder muon) shook hun, and whispered, "Look at that maul Don't ?ou see he has risen, and is turning the pillow? ?hj should he turu the pillow, if not to seek those papers that are in your breast ? Awake I" And yet he slept, and wandered off into other dreame. ? > Watchful and still, with his elbow on the table and his bead upon that hand, bia companion at length ssid : "Vendale I Vf e are called. Past four 1" Then, opening his eyes, he saw, .turned sid? ways on bun, the filmy face of Obenreizer. "You have been in a heavy sleor," be said. " The fatigue of constant traveling and the c ld 1" "I am broad awake now," cried Vendale, spring inj; np, but with an unsteady footing. " Haven't you slept at all?" "I may have dozed, but I seem to have been patiently looking at the fire. Whether or no. we must wash and breakfast, and turn out. B-Sat four, Vendale ; past four 1" It was said m a tone to rouse him, for airead he was half asleep again. In his preparation for the day, too, and at bis breakfast, he wae often virtually asleep while in mechanical action. It was not until the cold, dark day was clefting in that he had any distincter impressions of the ride than jingling bells, bitter weather, alippin horses, frowning hillsides, bleak wood?, and stoppage at some wayside houses of entertain ment, where they had passed through a cow? house to reach the travelers' room above. He had been conscious of little more, except of Obenreizer Bitting thoughtful at his side all day, and eyeing him much. But when he shook off his stupor, Obenrelzei was not at his side. The carriage was stopping tc bait at another wayside house; and a line of long, narrow carts, laden with casks of wine, and drawn by horses with a quantity of blue collar and head ge ir, were baiting too. These came from the direction in which the travelers were going, and Obenreizer (not thoughtful now, but cheerful and alert) was talking with the foremost driver. As Vendale stretched his limbs, circulated bis blood, and cleared of the lees of bis lethargy, with a sharp nu to and fro in the bracing air. tho line of carts moved on: the drivers all saluting Obenreizer as they pa?sed him. " Who are those?" raked Vendale. " They ar? iu ea?Ti?r-,--Defrw?i?; and Qm?