In the morning he leaped out of bed and again thrust aside the blinds. His heart sank. The Enchanted Garden was still below him; but it looked unmistakably neglected and uninhabited. Most of the roses were through blooming for the while and what blossoms there were seemed faded and imperfect. The blinds in the rear of the Castle were all tightly closed; the hammock was gone from the porch; the vines looked dusty. In a sudden panic of alarm Burton strode to the hall and called loudly for Bob. [Illustration] “Have those people in that house over there gone away?” he demanded when the darky appeared. “Which house is dat, sah?” “There, idiot--beyond the rose-garden! Have they gone?” “Oh, yessah; they gone; been gone a week, I reckon.” Burton sat down on the edge of the bed and groaned. Then,-- “Where?” he demanded. Bob shook his head: “I dunno, sah; somewhars up No’th. The Colonel he al’ays goes No’th in summer.” “The Colonel?” “Yessah, Colonel Barrett. Wasn’t you askin’ about----” “_Barrett!_” Burton seized Bob by the arm and dragged him to the casement. “Look here,” he said desperately, “do you mean to tell me that Colonel Barrett lives in that house, the one with the rose-garden behind it?” “Y-yessah, I surely does, sah.” “You’re not mistaken?” “No, sah; why, I knows the Colonel well!” “Then why didn’t you tell me this before, you fool nigger? Why didn’t you tell me Colonel Barrett lived there?” “Yo’ didn’t ask me!” [Illustration] “Oh, get out of here!” groaned Burton. “Hold on, though. Has the Colonel a daughter?” [Illustration] “No, sah, he ain’ never got mahied.” “Then----” cried Burton in sudden hope. “He got a niece, though.” “Oh! So she’s his niece? What’s her name?” “Name’s Miss Kitty.” “I know that,” said the other impatiently. “What’s the rest of it?” “Ah ain’ never heard no mo’.” “Do you mean to tell me that she has no last name?” “Oh, _las’_ name! I didn’t know you meant _las’_ name, sah. Las’ name’s Fletcher, o’ co’se!” “That’s all. Get out!” Bob departed to tell the cook that “Mister Burton he done wen’ crazy,” and the subject of the announcement remained for many minutes sitting on the bed in his pajamas gazing out into the Enchanted Garden and mentally heaping maledictions upon himself. The thought of the letter of introduction in his trunk was maddening. It was all very plain now; no wonder she had smiled when he had asked about the Colonel! “Oh Kitty, Kitty!” he muttered, “you’re the cruel one!” [Illustration]