The Netherby doctor raised each of the patient's eyelids when he came, but the pupil remained dull. Every day the doctor would say, "Do not be alarmed. This is a well-marked stage of the trouble, though no doubt it is in this case somewhat unduly prolonged." And so it proved, for Cleg did not come to himself until twelve days after the night when Vara found him lying in the brick addition, with the lamp lighted and signs of hideous outrage all about him on the floor. A watch had been kept all the time by the county authorities upon Barnbogle House, and every possible attempt had been made to communicate with the owner. All places which he was known to visit had been watched. The steamers on the Caledonian Canal, the ferries to the Island of Arran, the passenger boats to Orkney and Shetland had been carefully examined; but so far it was all in vain. No one answering to the description of General Theophilus Ruff could anywhere be found. Yet there was nothing remarkable in this. For the mad General had been in the habit of going off suddenly on tours by himself, by rail and steamboat, without consulting any one. Upon his travels by sea he had been distinguished by his habit of taking the officers under his protection, and offering them advice upon the subject of their profession, especially as to the proper way to handle a ship—advice which, strangely enough, was not always received in good part. But the mad soldier could nowhere be found. His lawyers continued the search in other directions. They came to Netherby, and made very particular inquiries as to the doings of Cleg during the day which had ended so disastrously. Now it chanced that, even while Cleg himself lay unconscious upon the bed at Sandyknowes, every hour of his day could be accounted for; that is, up to the moment when he had gone home to prepare supper for his master. The General had ordered a new fence of barbed wire to be erected by the side of the railway, and Cleg had been out all the forenoon superintending its erection, after having been sent to Netherby by the General. He had been engaged in whitewashing the office-houses at Sandyknowes in the afternoon. So close was the inquiry, that the chief of the Netherby police asked more than once of the detective employed by General Ruff's lawyers if he had any cause for suspicion against the young man Kelly. "None whatever," said the detective, "so far as I know. But I understand that important testamentary dispositions will affect the young man—that is, if he gets better and the General does not turn up." Cleg did get better, but not suddenly or indeed speedily. One morning, when the doctor came from Netherby, Cleg of his own accord twitched an eyelid up and glanced at him. "Doctor Sidey!" he said feebly, "have I been ill?" Without answering, the doctor took his hand and bent over him. His breathing was weak and irregular, but still perceptibly stronger.