Her　eyes　were　bent　on　the　window。　　Looking　out；　Somerset　saw
  in　the　mead　beyond　the　dry　ditch；　Dare；　with　his　photographic
  apparatus。
  'He　is　the　young　gentleman　who　called　about　taking　views　of
  the　castle；'　said　Charlotte。
  'O　yesI　remember；　it　is　quite　right。　　He　met　me　in　the
  village　and　asked　me　to　suggest　him　some　views。　　I　thought　him
  a　respectable　young　fellow。'
  'I　think　he　is　a　Canadian；'　said　Somerset。
  'No；'　said　Paula；　'he　is　from　the　Eastat　least　he　implied　so
  to　me。'
  'There　is　Italian　blood　in　him；'　said　Charlotte　brightly。
  'For　he　spoke　to　me　with　an　Italian　accent。　　But　I　can't　think
  whether　he　is　a　boy　or　a　man。'
  'It　is　to　be　earnestly　hoped　that　the　gentleman　does　not
  prevaricate；'　said　the　minister；　for　the　first　time　attracted
  by　the　subject。　　'I　accidentally　met　him　in　the　lane；　and　he
  said　something　to　me　about　having　lived　in　Malta。　　I　think　it
  was　Malta；　or　Gibraltareven　if　he　did　not　say　that　he　was
  born　there。'
  'His　manners　are　no　credit　to　his　nationality；'　observed　Mrs。
  Goodman；　also　speaking　publicly　for　the　first　time。　　'He　asked
  me　this　morning　to　send　him　out　a　pail　of　water　for　his
  process；　and　before　I　had　turned　away　he　began　whistling。　　I
  don't　like　whistlers。'
  'Then　it　appears；'　said　Somerset；　'that　he　is　a　being　of　no
  age；　no　nationality；　and　no　behaviour。'
  'A　complete　negative；'　added　Havill；　brightening　into　a　civil
  sneer。　　'That　is；　he　would　be；　if　he　were　not　a　maker　of
  negatives　well　known　in　Markton。'
  'Not　well　known；　Mr。　Havill；'　answered　Mrs。　Goodman　firmly。
  'For　I　lived　in　Markton　for　thirty　years　ending　three　months
  ago；　and　he　was　never　heard　of　in　my　time。'
  'He　is　something　like　you；　Charlotte；'　said　Paula；　smiling
  playfully　on　her　companion。
  All　the　men　looked　at　Charlotte；　on　whose　face　a　delicate
  nervous　blush　thereupon　made　its　appearance。
  ''Pon　my　word　there　is　a　likeness；　now　I　think　of　it；'　said
  Havill。
  Paula　bent　down　to　Charlotte　and　whispered：　　'Forgive　my
  rudeness；　dear。　　He　is　not　a　nice　enough　person　to　be　like
  you。　　He　is　really　more　like　one　or　other　of　the　old　pictures
  about　the　house。　　I　forget　which；　and　really　it　does　not
  matter。'
  'People's　features　fall　naturally　into　groups　and　classes；'
  remarked　Somerset。　　'To　an　observant　person　they　often　repeat
  themselves；　though　to　a　careless　eye　they　seem　infinite　in
  their　differences。'
  The　conversation　flagged；　and　they　idly　observed　the　figure　of
  the　cosmopolite　Dare　as　he　walked　round　his　instrument　in　the
  mead　and　busied　himself　with　an　arrangement　of　curtains　and
  lenses；　occasionally　withdrawing　a　few　steps；　and　looking
  contemplatively　at　the　towers　and　walls。
  IX。
  Somerset　returned　to　the　top　of　the　great　tower　with　a　vague
  consciousness　that　he　was　going　to　do　something　up　there
  perhaps　sketch　a　general　plan　of　the　structure。　　But　he　began
  to　discern　that　this　Stancy…Castle　episode　in　his　studies　of
  Gothic　architecture　might　be　less　useful　than　ornamental　to
  him　as　a　professional　man；　though　it　was　too　agreeable　to　be
  abandoned。　　Finding　after　a　while　that　his　drawing　progressed
  but　slowly；　by　reason　of　infinite　joyful　thoughts　more　allied
  to　his　nature　than　to　his　art；　he　relinquished　rule　and
  compass；　and　entered　one　of　the　two　turrets　opening　on　the
  roof。　　It　was　not　the　staircase　by　which　he　had　ascended；　and
  he　proceeded　to　explore　its　lower　part。　　Entering　from　the
  blaze　of　light　without；　and　imagining　the　stairs　to　descend　as
  usual；　he　became　aware　after　a　few　steps　that　there　was
  suddenly　nothing　to　tread　on；　and　found　himself　precipitated
  downwards　to　a　distance　of　several　feet。
  Arrived　at　the　bottom；　he　was　conscious　of　the　happy　fact　that
  he　had　not　seriously　hurt　himself；　though　his　leg　was　twisted
  awkwardly。　　Next　he　perceived　that　the　stone　steps　had　been
  removed　from　the　turret；　so　that　he　had　dropped　into　it　as
  into　a　dry　well；　that；　owing　to　its　being　walled　up　below；
  there　was　no　door　of　exit　on　either　side　of　him；　that　he　was；
  in　short；　a　prisoner。
  Placing　himself　in　a　more　comfortable　position　he　calmly
  considered　the　best　means　of　getting　out；　or　of　making　his
  condition　known。　　For　a　moment　he　tried　to　drag　himself　up　by
  his　arm；　but　it　was　a　hopeless　attempt；　the　height　to　the
  first　step　being　far　too　great。
  He　next　looked　round　at　a　lower　level。　　Not　far　from　his　left
  elbow；　in　the　concave　of　the　outer　wall；　was　a　slit　for　the
  admission　of　light；　and　he　perceived　at　once　that　through　this
  slit　alone　lay　his　chance　of　communicating　with　the　outer
  world。　　At　first　it　seemed　as　if　it　were　to　be　done　by
  shouting；　but　when　he　learnt　what　little　effect　was　produced
  by　his　voice　in　the　midst　of　such　a　mass　of　masonry；　his　heart
  failed　him　for　a　moment。　　Yet；　as　either　Paula　or　Miss　De
  Stancy　would　probably　guess　his　visit　to　the　top　of　the　tower；
  there　was　no　cause　for　terror；　if　some　for　alarm。
  He　put　his　handkerchief　through　the　window…slit；　so　that　it
  fluttered　outside；　and；　fixing　it　in　its　place　by　a　large
  stone　drawn　from　the　loose　ones　around　him；　awaited　succour　as
  best　he　could。　　To　begin　this　course　of　procedure　was　easy；
  but　to　abide　in　patience　till　it　should　produce　fruit　was　an
  irksome　task。　　As　nearly　as　he　could　guessfor　his　watch　had
  been　stopped　by　the　fallit　was　now　about　four　o'clock；　and
  it　would　be　scarcely　possible　for　evening　to　approach　without
  some　eye　or　other　noticing　the　white　signal。　　So　Somerset
  waited；　his　eyes　lingering　on　the　little　world　of　objects
  around　him；　till　they　all　became　quite　familiar。　　Spiders'…
  webs　in　plenty　were　there；　and　one　in　particular　just　before
  him　was　in　full　use　as　a　snare；　stretching　across　the　arch　of
  the　window；　with　radiating　threads　as　its　ribs。　　Somerset　had
  plenty　of　time；　and　he　counted　their　numberfifteen。　　He
  remained　so　silent　that　the　owner　of　this　elaborate　structure
  soon　forgot　the　disturbance　which　had　resulted　in　the　breaking
  of　his　diagonal　ties；　and　crept　out　from　the　corner　to　mend
  them。　　In　watching　the　process；　Somerset　noticed　that　on　the
  stonework　behind　the　web　sundry　names　and　initials　had　been
  cut　by　explorers　in　years　gone　by。　　Among　these　antique
  inscriptions　he　observed　two　bright　and　clean　ones；　consisting
  of　the　words　'De　Stancy'　and　'W。　Dare；'　crossing　each　other　at
  right　angles。　　From　the　state　of　the　stone　they　could　not　have
  been　cut　more　than　a　month　before　this　date；　and；　musing　on
  the　circumstance；　Somerset　passed　the　time　until　the　sun
  reached　the　slit　in　that　side　of　the　tower；　where；　beginning
  by　throwing　in　a　streak　of　fire　as　narrow　as　a　corn…stalk；　it
  enlarged　its　width　till　the　dusty　nook　was　flooded　with
  cheerful　light。　　It　disclosed　something　lying　in　the　corner；
  which　on　examination　proved　to　be　a　dry　bone。　　Whether　it　was
  human；　or　had　come　from　the　castle　larder　in　bygone　times；　he
  could　not　tell。　　One　bone　was　not　a　whole　skeleton；　but　it
  made　him　think　of　Ginevra　of　Modena；　the　heroine　of　the
  Mistletoe　Bough；　and　other　cribbed　and　confined　wretches；　who
  had　fallen　into　such　traps　and　been　discovered　after　a　cycle
  of　years。
  The　sun's　rays　had　travelled　some　way　round　the　interior　when
  Somerset's　waiting　ears　were　at　last　attracted　by　footsteps
  above；　each　tread　being　brought　down　by　the　hollow　turret　with
  great　fidelity。　　He　hoped　that　with　these　sounds　would　arise
  that　of　a　soft　voice　he　had　begun　to　like　well。　　Indeed；
  during　the　solitary　hour　or　two　of　his　waiting　here　he　had
  pictured　Paula　straying　alone　on　the　terrace　of　the　castle；
  looking　up；　noting　his　signal；　and　ascending　to　deliver　him
  from　his　painful　position　by　her　own　exertions。　　It　seemed
  that　at　length　his　dream　had　been　verified。　　The　footsteps
  approached　the　opening　of　the　turret；　and；　attracted　by　the
  call　which　Somerset　now　raised；　began　to　descend　towards　him。
  In　a　moment；　not　Paula's　face；　but　that　of　a　dreary　footman　of
  her　household；　looked　into　the　hole。
  Somerset　mastered　his　disappointment；　and　the　man　speedily
  fetched　a　ladder；　by　which　means　the　prisoner　of　two　hours
  ascended　to　the　roof　in　safety。　　During　the　process　he
  ventured　to　ask　for　the　ladies　of　the　house；　and　learnt　that
  they　had　gone　out　for　a　drive　together。
  Before　he　left　the　castle；　however；　they　had　returned；　a
  circumstance　unexpectedly　made　known　to　him　by　his　receiving　a
  message　from　Miss　Power；　to　the　effect　that　she　would　be　glad
  to　see　him　at　his　convenience。　　Wondering　what　it　could
  possibly　mean；　he　followed　the　messenger　to　her　rooma　small
  modern　library　in　the　Jacobean　wing　of　the　house；　adjoining
  that　in　which　the　telegraph　stood。　　She　was　alone；　sitting
  behind　a　table　littered　with　letters　and　sketches；　and　looking
  fresh　from　her　drive。　　Perhaps　it　was　because　he　had　been　shut
  up　in　that　dismal　dungeon　all　the　afternoon　that　he　felt
  something　in　her　presence　which　at　the　same　time　charmed　and
  refreshed　him。
  She　signified　that　he　was　to　sit　down；　but　finding　that　he　was
  going　to　place　himself　on　a　straight…backed　chair　some
  distance　off　she　said；　'Will　you　sit　nearer　to　me？'　and　then；
  as　if　rather　oppressed　by　her　dignity；　she　left　her　own　chair
  of　business　and　seated　herself　at　ease　on　an　ottoman　which　was
  among　the　diversified　fu