That same afternoon Sir Murray Gernon strode out into the pleasure-grounds, thoughtfully crossed the lawn, avoiding, as it were, more by instinct than care, the various flower-beds, till he roused himself, with a start, on finding that he was standing at the very edge of the lake, gazing down into its deep waters, as if they possessed for him some horrible fascination. He stood there for full ten minutes, his brow corrugated, his eyes staring, and his teeth clenched firmly upon his lower lip. Then with an effort he seemed to drag himself, shuddering, away, to walk slowly muttering to himself. Fifty yards of winding amidst flower-beds and shrubs, and Sir Murray came suddenly upon Lord Maudlaine, his guest, seated upon a garden-chair, a half-smoked cigar in one hand, a newspaper at his feet, his mouth half open, and his aristocratic head resting upon his open palm. It is quite possible that Sir Murray Gernon might have passed his visitor, who had already been for some days at the Castle, but for the fact that certain strange sounds arrested his attention. Had these sounds proceeded from Alexander McCray, there would have been no difficulty about the matter, and one would have immediately said that the ex-gardener was snoring loudly; but when a nobleman is concerned, a diffidence--an unwillingness is felt to use such a term. However, Lord Maudlaine was loudly trumpeting forth the announcement that he was devoting a spare hour to the service of Morpheus, and Sir Murray Gernon, hearing those sounds, was attracted thereby. "You here, Maudlaine?" exclaimed Sir Murray. "Eh? Why, what the deuce--Dear me! I suppose I was dozing," said his lordship, lifting himself up a bit at a time, as he indulged in a most unmistakable yawn. "Not with Isa?" said Sir Murray. "I thought you went out with her?" "Ya-as--ya-as! no question of a doubt about it, I did," drawled the Viscount; "and I've just been dreaming that I was boating with her on the lake--not your fish-pond here, but Como--same as we did before we came away." "But you went out walking with her?" said Sir Murray, anxiously. "Ya-as. Not a question of a doubt about it! I did go out and walked a little way with her." "Did she turn back, then?" "N-n-no!" said the Viscount; "point of fact, she as good as told me she didn't want me, and went on by herself." "My dear Maudlaine," said Sir Murray, smiling, as he clapped his guest upon the shoulder, "I'm afraid that you are not half a lady's man. It is a fine thing for you that you have no rival in the field."