"Not a very pleasant fellow, I believe," Mr. Hobhouse went on. "At least I should judge not; I should gather not. But I trust he wasn't a friend of yours, Miss Rendall?" "Not a particular friend. But why do you think he was unpleasant?" "Oh, only from Dr. Rendall's references to him--only from that, I assure you," said Mr. Hobhouse with propitiating eagerness. "Really?" said she, her eyes opening. There was no doubt that this information genuinely surprised her. "I thought they seemed great friends," she added. "Oh, they may have been--they may have been. I may be doing Mr. O'Brien an injustice. Possibly I misunderstood your relative--quite possibly." She was silent for a little while after this, and Mr. Hobhouse too ceased chatting. He was eyeing the shore line very curiously and trying to piece together his recollections of it. "I think perhaps we have gone far enough now," said she, and for a minute or two they stood still; and a very distinct sense of being in a familiar situation was borne in upon her companion. And then all at once she exclaimed, "Do you hear anything?" I started and stared at her. For the moment I had ceased to be Mr. Hobhouse, so straight had I been carried back to that night six months ago. Those were her very words, and if I were not much mistaken this was the very place. I nearly answered as I had answered before, but was just able to check myself. And then she broke the spell by laughing. "It's only the sea! But it sounded so funny and hollow." There was indeed a low gurgle just audible, as if the waves were breaking into some cave. It struck me that she must have singularly sharp ears to have noticed it. We stood there for a minute or two longer, and then she asked, "Do you see any ancient remains, Mr. Hobhouse?" It was not in fact ancient remains that the eye glasses were looking at, but I jumped at the chance of making sure of my bearings, and with an appearance of great eagerness told her that there seemed to be something decidedly interesting in the appearance of the rocks at that place. "I can wait for a moment if you'd like to look at them nearer," she said. "This is luck!" I said to myself as I scrambled down. "I believe I've found the actual place." A few minutes exploration left no doubt in my mind. I found the very cliff face under which I had been decoyed and was able to clear up one point. A man above could easily have struck at me with some implement, say, six feet long. I shut my eyes and pictured that curved mystery, and then in a flash I had it: a scythe blade tied to a pole! If I could find a scythe blade fastened to a pole, or a blade and pole separate, I should not be far off the end of my quest. The next moment I smiled at my own optimism when I realised what a house to house hunt that would imply. Still, I saw a fresh possibility and came back silently thanking my guide.