"Asleep?--ill?" replied Alleyne, in a low, dreamy voice, his eyes blinking uneasily in the light, as he displayed a white and ghastly face to his visitor, one that was startling in its aspect. "No, I am quite well. I was thinking." Oldroyd was not ignorant of his friend's trouble, but he was surprised and shocked at the change that had taken place in so short a time; and laying his hand upon Alleyne's shoulder, and closely scanning the deeply-lined, ashy face, he said quietly,-- "May I open a shutter or two, and admit the light?" "Light?--shutter?" said Alleyne dreamily; "is it morning?" "Yes; glorious sunny morning, man. There, now we can see each other," cried Oldroyd cheerfully, as he threw back one or two shutters. "Why, Alleyne, how you do stick to the work." "Yes--yes," in a low, dreamy voice. "There is so much to do, and one gets on so slowly." "Big problem on, I suppose, as usual, eh?" "Yes; a difficult problem," said Alleyne vacantly. "These things take time." "Ah, I suppose so," replied Oldroyd. "How's the garden getting on now?" "Garden?--the garden! Oh, yes; I had forgotten. Very well, I think; but I have been too much occupied for the past few weeks--months--weeks to attend to it myself." "I suppose so. One has to work hard to do more than one's fellows, eh?" Alleyne looked at him blankly. "Yes, one has to work hard," he replied. "I thought, perhaps, as you have been shut up so much lately, you would come and have a round with me," continued Oldroyd. "It is a splendid day." Alleyne looked at him dreamily, as if he felt that something of the brightness of the outer day had accompanied his friend into the room, but he merely shook his head. "Oh, nonsense, man!" cried Oldroyd, speaking with energy. "You work too hard. I am sure you do." "I am obliged," said Alleyne gravely. "It is the only rest I have." He seemed to be growing more animated already, and to be fully awakened to the presence of his friend, for his next words possessed more energy, when, in reply to a little more persuasion, he exclaimed,-- "Don't ask me, Oldroyd. I have, I tell you, too much to do." It seemed useless to press him further, and the doctor felt that it would be unwise, perhaps, to say more, so he took a seat and waited for Alleyne to speak again, apparently like any idler who might have called, but really observant of him all the time. It was a curious study the manner in which these two men bore their trouble. Each was a student in a different field, and each had sought relief in his own particular subject, with the result that the one had grown old and careworn and neglectful of self in a few weeks, while the other was only more grave and energetic than before.