Saying this, Thorkell began to laugh, loudly, frantically, atrociously. Jarvis Kerruish had entered while he was running on with his tirade. The stranger did not lift his eyes to Jarvis, but Jarvis looked at him attentively. When Thorkell had finished his hideous laugh, he turned to Jarvis and asked if superstition was not the plague of the island, and if it ought not to be put down by law. Jarvis curled his lips for answer, but his form of contempt was lost on old Thorkell's dim eyes. "Have we not often agreed that it is so?" said Thorkell. "And that you," said Jarvis, speaking slowly and bitterly, "are the most superstitious man alive." "What? what?" Thorkell cried. The stranger lifted his face, and looked steadily into Jarvis's eyes. "_You_," he said, calmly, "have some reason to say so." Jarvis reddened, turned about, stepped to the door, glanced back at the stranger, and went out of the room. Thorkell was now moaning on the pillow. "I am all alone," he said; and he fell to a bout of weeping. The stranger waited until the hysterical fit was over, and then said, "Where is your daughter?" "Ah!" said Thorkell, dropping his red eyes. "Send for her." "I will. Juan, go to Bishop's Court. Juan, I say, run fast and fetch Mistress Mona. Tell her that her father is ill." As Thorkell gave this order Jarvis Kerruish returned to the room. "No!" said Jarvis, lifting his hand against the young man. "No?" cried Thorkell. "If this is my house, I will be master in it," said Jarvis. "Master! your house! yours!" Thorkell cried; and then he fell to a fiercer bout of hysterical curses. "Bastard, I gave you all! But for me you would be on the roads--ay, the dunghill!" "This violence will avail you nothing," said Jarvis, with hard constraint. "Mistress Mona shall not enter this house." Jarvis placed himself with his back to the door. The stranger stepped up to him, laid one powerful hand on his arm, and drew him aside. "Go for Mistress Mona," he said to the young man. "Knock at the door on your return. I will open it." The young man obeyed the stranger. Jarvis stood a moment looking blankly into the stranger's face. Then he went out of the room.