"Boy or man, it makes no difference," said the captain; "I can only think of you as I have thought of you always--as one who is nearer to my heart than any I have met on my journey through life." Before he could be prevented Comethup had caught the old man's hands and had carried them swiftly to his lips. "Thank you," he whispered; "God bless you! I can go now with a lighter heart than I have carried for a long time. Good-bye, old friend, good-bye!" They gripped hands once more, and Comethup, crying lightly that he knew the way, stumbled out of the room and went swiftly upstairs, leaving the captain standing alone. The captain sat down and tried to resume his thoughts. But everything seemed to have been tumbled about and thrust into fresh directions by the arrival of Comethup. After a little time the old man got up and reached down his heavy cloak and put on his hat and went softly out. The night was fine; only the slow chiming of the hour from the church clock struck upon his ears. He walked through the garden and out into the deserted streets. Going along with bent head, pondering deeply, he was brought to a sudden recollection of his surroundings by hearing some one falter his name; he looked up with a start and saw 'Linda before him. So surprising had been the coming of the other visitor that he was scarcely startled to see her suddenly there before him; he did not even ask her the reason for her presence. "I was coming to see you," she whispered as she held his hand. "I have been trying to make up my mind to come to you all the afternoon." "Are you here alone?" he asked. "Yes, quite alone. We are going abroad to-morrow, and I craved permission to come down to the old place once again. We may not be returning for years. I wanted--oh, can't you understand?--I wanted just to creep back here again for an hour or two; to visit the old scenes, perhaps even to dream some of the old dreams. And so I took a little room at the inn here, where no one seems to remember me, and I am going away quite early in the morning. Miss Carlaw is coming down to Deal to-morrow and I am to drive from here to meet her, and from there we start on our travels. But I felt I could not go away from the old place without seeing my old friend." The captain thought of the man who slept at his cottage, and decided at once that 'Linda must be kept away from there. "I am afraid," he said, "that we shall have to say our farewells here. It is very late, and when a lady"--he threw a little light laughter into his tones--"when a lady is staying at an inn she must keep regular hours. I'm glad, for your sake, that you are going abroad. Come, let me take you back again."