The gentleman was ready to go at once. Jane threw a hasty glance upon the plaid still lying in the mud, but as he seemed to have quite forgotten it, she did not think it worth her while to remind him of it. They walked on silent as before, but the guide now moderated his steps, and often looked anxiously around to see if she could follow. Another quarter of an hour had passed, when the outlines of houses and turrets loomed up through the fog, and the stranger turned to his companion. "We are in B. May I ask Miss, where I shall conduct you?" "To the house of Dr. Stephen." He paused in surprise. "Doctor Stephen?" "Yes! do you know him?" "Certainly. I live in his house, and indeed"--he passed his hand thoughtfully over his forehead--"I faintly remember having heard that some one was expected there, a young relative, I believe." "I was certainly expected," said Jane impatiently, "and you will oblige me if you would shorten the waiting of my relatives as much as possible." "I am at your command, Miss! May I beg you to turn to the right so that I can conduct you through the garden by the shortest path?" Jane followed, but she soon found reason enough to execrate this shortest path; for the hedge-way leading through the garden was worse than the deep mud and difficulties of the path they had just gone over. Her companion appeared to realize this himself, for after a while he paused suddenly, and said in evident embarrassment:-- "I forgot that the path was not suitable for a lady. Shall we turn around?" "I think we are already half through it," answered Jane in a somewhat exasperated tone. "The end cannot be far distant." "It is there behind the latticed gate." "Well, then, let us go forward." They had advanced a hundred steps or more, when a new obstacle loomed up. The deepest portions of the path were quite overflowed by the rain, which here formed a real lake, that, enclosing the whole breadth of the passage, was not to be avoided. The unhappy guide halted in utter confusion. "You cannot possibly pass through here," he said anxiously. "I will try!" answered Jane resignedly, and placed the tip of her foot in the water; but he excitedly held her back. "Impossible! The water is a foot deep. If you only--if you would allow me to carry you over." The question was very timidly uttered, and with a half sympathetic, half derisive glance, Jane's eyes swept the tall but very slender and delicate form with its bowed shoulders. "I thank you!" she returned with unconcealed irony. "The burden might be too heavy for you."