"None, save that it was an interesting place. Of course they could not know me, or guess the object of my wanderings. They simply suggested Farbis; and as I remembered that I had a place here which I had never seen, it occurred to me that it would be interesting to turn aside and have a look at my property. I therefore accepted the hint given by the gipsies, and came here." "Pardon me, sir, but so far I see nothing mysterious." "Wait a moment, Mr. Jarner. Hardly had I set foot in this place when my fortune was told to me by Mother Jericho. She said I would meet with my fate at the Gates of Dawn. I went down to the beach next morning and met Meg. Tinker Tim came here and did battle with me. He observed that none other than I should have her; and this oracular sentence, I believe, applies also to Meg. Then I visited Dr. Merle, and he makes that strange remark about Tinker Tim which included a reference to Miss Linisfarne. Now then, sir," pursued Dan, laying his forefinger in the palm of his hand, "look at all these things together--the guiding of my footsteps to this place through gipsy suggestion, the prophecy of Mother Jericho, the remark of Tim, the fear of Dr. Merle and the allusion to Miss Linisfarne. What do you make of all these things, Mr. Jarner?" The vicar scratched his head and stared at the fire. He was gifted with unusual perspicuity, and the linking together of so many circumstances certainly seemed strange. There was ground for Dan's suspicions, and yet Jarner could not quite see how matters stood. He frowned, and spoke with marked hesitancy. "All such things might be coincidences. I own it is strange that the gipsies should so mix themselves up in your plans; but the whole circumstances are so intangible, that I do not see what inferences you can draw from them." "It seems to me, Mr. Jarner, that Meg is connected with the gipsies in some way, and that they wish me to marry her." "Pooh, pooh! For what reason?" "Ah! there you have me, sir." "They cannot possibly know your name," said Jarner, doubtfully, "unless you told the----" "I told no one. One man only knows of my wanderings, and he is London. To the gipsies I must appear simply as a cheap-jack, or at the best as a broken-down gentleman. Not at all a good match for Diana of Farbis." "True enough," said the vicar, smiling at the classical allusion; "and, moreover, I do not see why they should interest themselves in the girl. It is true that she is friendly with them, and often visits their camp, but gipsies do not as a rule trouble themselves about the Gorgios. Yes, I agree with you, Dan; it is certainly very strange." "Well, leaving our Romany friends out of the question--what has Dr. Merle to do with Miss Linisfarne? Why should he turn pale at the mention of her name?" "You ask me riddles, sir," said Jarner, with a vexed air--"riddles which I cannot answer. Dr. Merle has nothing to do with Miss Linisfarne. He has not even seen her."