This bright, crisp, last day of October was the day of the funeral. For this ceremony Grey had made the arrangements. Only personal friends of the late baronet and twenty of the principal tenants were to go to the Island for the purpose of carrying the body from the Castle to the slip, and accompanying it across the water. The remainder of the tenants, and all others desirous of attending the funeral, were to assemble on the mainland and await the body. When the coffin had been landed, the procession would proceed in a certain determined order; and as the deceased had no near relative, and no relative near or distant was to be present, Mr. Grey, in virtue of his long connection with Sir Alexander, and of the relations in which the will would place him to Sir Alexander's child, was to occupy the place of chief mourner. Mrs. Grant found the banker in the library, and gave him, in a somewhat modified form, the message Miss Midharst had sent to him. Without saying a word he left the room, following the lady. "Where is the strange gentleman who wanted to see Miss Midharst, and would not give his name?" asked the lady, as they passed down the corridor leading to the staircase. "I did not see him in the library. Oh, here he is." They encountered a tall, slight, sad-faced man clad in black. Mrs. Grant stopped, Mr. Grey fell back a few paces, and the widow said: "I am sorry Miss Midharst is so much distressed just now that she does not feel equal to seeing you. You will of course understand that the circumstances are very trying upon her." The stranger bowed, and answered in a low, quiet, full voice: "I am deeply grieved by Miss Midharst's trouble. I would not think of seeking to intrude upon her but for good reasons. There is no absolute necessity for my seeing her at this moment. Later I hope to have an opportunity of expressing personally to her my sympathy, and of saying what further I wish to say. I am much indebted to you for the effort you have made in my behalf." He indicated that he had nothing to add, and by keeping bowed showed that he did not desire to detain Mrs. Grant longer. When she and the banker were out of the stranger's hearing, she said to Grey: "Do you know who that gentleman is? I have never seen his face before." "I do not know who he is. Nor have I seen his face before." It was well for Grey they were in the dimly-lighted corridor, because he blenched and staggered for a moment. "Who can this man be?" he thought, "who has such urgent business with Miss Midharst? Can this swarthy solemn man be here on _official_ business connected with--with Miss Midharst's money? He looks a gentleman, but talks too like a book for one. A detective? That would be a nice finale to this ceremony. "Dear Miss Midharst, here is Mr. Grey come to see you," said Mrs. Grant, opening the door of the little drawing-room and ushering in the banker. Grey entered with a calm, sympathetic face.