“Now for the sleeping draught,” he said. From a bottle he poured out a few drops, which Robert swallowed. In less than three minutes he had closed his eyes and was in a profound slumber. The old man regarded him with satisfaction as he lay breathing tranquilly upon the bed. “He is young and strong. Nature has been kind to him and given him an excellent constitution. Sleep will repair the ill effects of exposure. I must remember my promise to the boy,” he said. Turning to the table, he drew from a drawer writing materials and wrote the brief message which, as we have already seen, was duly delivered, and then walked to the entrance of the cavern. He placed a whistle to his lips, and in response to his summons a black dog came bounding to him from the recesses of the grotto and fawned upon him. “Come with me, Carlo; I have work for you,” he said. The dog, as if he understood, followed his master out upon the beach. They walked far enough to bring into clear distinctness the cabin on the cliff. “Do you see that house. Carlo?” asked his master, directing the dog’s attention with his outstretched finger. Carlo answered by a short, quick bark, which apparently meant “yes.” “Carry this note there. Do you understand?” The dog opened his mouth to receive the missive and trotted contentedly away. The hermit turned and retraced his steps to the cavern. He stood beside the bed and saw, to his satisfaction, that Robert was still sleeping peacefully. “It is strange,” said he musingly, “that I should feel such an interest in this boy. I had forsworn all intercourse with my kind, save to provide myself with the necessaries of life. For two years I have lived here alone with my dog and I fancied that I felt no further interest in the affairs of my fellow men. Yet here is a poor boy thrown on my hands, and I feel positive pleasure in having him with me. Yet he is nothing to me. He belongs to a poor fisherman’s family, and probably he is uneducated, and has no tastes in common with me. Yet he is an attractive boy. He has a well-shaped head and a bright eye. There must be a capacity for something better and higher. I will speak with him in the morning.” He opened a volume from his bookcase, to which reference has not as yet been made, and for two hours he seemed to be absorbed by it. Closing it at length, he threw himself upon the couch on which Robert had at first been placed and finally fell asleep. CHAPTER XV THE HOME OF THE HERMIT When Robert awoke the next morning he found himself alone. His strange host was absent, on some errand perhaps. After a brief glance of bewilderment, Robert remembered where he was, and with the recovery of his strength, which had been repaired by sleep, he felt a natural curiosity about his host and his strange home. So far as he knew, he was the first inhabitant of the village who had been admitted to a sight of its mystery.