“‘Ah, ha! my boy, that’s all you know about it; I have given her as much of that sort of medicine as her system will bear, and I tell you again, you had better find my boy, and that without delay, unless you expect to see your sister die. Ah, ha! when that poor girl dies, this world will lose one of its brightest jewels, and Heaven will receive one of the brightest angels that ever went there. Poor Viola will lose her best friend, and we will be left to mourn over crushed hopes. I should like to know what sad fate has overtaken my poor boy. He was the light of my life and the joy of my house. Ah, ha! indeed he was! Some foul play somewhere; ah, ha! my boy; mind you, though, I don’t mean to scold you, Harry; ah, ha! you see I couldn’t have the heart to do it. Heaven knows you have enough to bear anyway.’ “‘Yes,’ replied Harry, ‘it is all my fault, but I thought I was acting for the best.’ “‘No doubt you did, ah, ha! my boy, but it has turned out to be a bad job. We are all ruined unless Eddie can be found.’ “‘I’ll find him, if he is on the globe, doctor!’ exclaimed Wallingford, as he hastened from the room.” “We will take a recess now,” said the queen, as she rose from her seat and took Ingomar’s arm. CHAPTER XXV. Ivanhoe and Miss Darlington (nicknamed Scottie) were as usual engaged in an earnest conversation, the topic being a mixture of sentiment and gossip. “Now, sir knight,” observed Miss Darlington, as she led him to a seat, “if you feel inclined to engage in a game of gossip on the old threadbare topic, we will stop here, where we will be free from spies or intruders. The fact of the business is, I believe, that another day of such intolerable suspense will unsettle my mind.” “Perhaps I can furnish you a little scrap of information that will afford temporary relief.” “Tell it then without preliminaries.” “Have you noticed a little, pale-faced lad gliding about like a half-grown ghost?” “Indeed I have, and there is a peculiar expression on his countenance that attracted my attention; but what about him?” “He is the black domino’s courier, spy, agent, pilot, general superintendent, or something of that sort.” “By the by, I see that same little ghostly lad yonder leaning over the banisters, just beyond the pilot house.” “Yes, that is he; I happen to know that he is serving the lady in the black domino in some of her mysterious schemes. Knowing, as I did, how much it would relieve you to obtain any clew that would unravel the unpleasant mystery by which we are surrounded, I took the liberty to play the spy myself. If I have been guilty of a mean thing (and to be candid, I think I have), you will have to answer for the sin of it, for I was prompted to it by my anxiety to gratify the curiosity of some one who was very dear to me.” “Indeed I am very grateful; but pray tell me what you have discovered?” “I heard a conversation between the little, pale-faced boy and the lady in the black domino.”