The captain raised his stick and struck sharply on the panel; waited a little, but there was no response. Then he stepped back and glanced up at the windows; but they were all closely shuttered, and no light appeared anywhere. The captain stepped up to the door again and renewed his attack on the panel. After another long period of waiting, there was a sound of shuffling feet on the bare boards within, and the door was opened so far as the length of a chain that held it would allow. The captain pressed forward to the aperture and spoke: "Is Dr. Vernier within?" "The doctor say he can't see no one," came the reply. "Oh, I'm much obliged," said the captain. "I wanted to know if the child--the little girl--is well? You remember I----" "Oh, yes, I knows all about you," replied the woman sharply. "And there's folks as can look after her, and mind their business without no interferin'." The door was slammed quickly, and they heard the shuffling feet going down the hall. The captain remained very upright for a moment, recovering himself; and then turned to Comethup. "Let that be a warning to you, boy," he said stiffly, "never to argue with your inferiors. The enemy is not to be surprised, that's evident; we must try stratagem. As a soldier, Comethup, I have learned that stratagem is very useful. I despise it, but it's very useful." But all the stratagem the captain could employ, and all the loyal aid given by Comethup in a cause in which he was desperately interested, failed to bring them any nearer the object of their search. They walked past the garden many times after that, on many successive days, taking it casually in their walks first, and afterward going there of set purpose. But the garden was always empty, and the house apparently deserted. They had almost given up in despair, when one night, rather later than usual, when they passed the gates, Comethup, lingering for a moment, saw the faint flutter of something white among the trees, and ran to it, crying softly "'Linda!" The captain went in too, but remained standing just within the gates. With a delicacy which belonged to him, he let the children meet in their own impulsive, breathless fashion alone. 'Linda was clinging to the boy, divided between laughter and tears, when the captain, looking past them, observed a figure hurrying toward them from the house--the figure of a woman certainly not portly enough to be Mrs. Blissett. The captain took a few strides forward, and reached the children at the same moment that the woman came up with them; she stood, almost in an attitude of defiance, looking at him. He noticed that she was tall and rather slight, and quite young. Instinctively his hat came off, and he bowed in his stiff fashion. For a moment there was silence between them; each seemed to be waiting for the other to speak. "What do you want, sir?" she asked at last, in a suppressed voice.