The moment they had disappeared, the man who was sitting in the back part of the room, and who had been so affected upon their arrival, arose and left the inn. Heedless of the driving storm, he proceeded quickly toward a drug store. Arriving there he purchased a fine white powder, and again returned to the inn. He did not go back into the public room, but proceeding round to the back door, entered the kitchen where he seemed to be perfectly at home. Going to the stove he sat down and appeared to be watching the servants while they prepared the strangers’ supper. He seemed to be a favorite with the maids, with whom he laughed and joked in a familiar manner. “Who are them new ones? Seen ’em?” at length asked one whom they called Mina, and who seemed to be queen of the kitchen. “Strangers from over the water,” was the reply. “Pretty grand, ain’t they? with their private rooms and supper served in them? Most folks who come here don’t feel so big but what they can eat in the room with common people.” “Oh, well,” replied the man, “that’s the way with the bon ton, as they call them over in the United States.” “What’s that,” asked Mina, with wide eyes and open mouth. “Bon ton! Don’t you know what that means?” replied her companion, with an amused smile at her astonishment. “It means those who live at the top of the ladder!” “How do you know? Have you ever been there?” “Lord bless you, yes! I was born there!” “Eh!” exclaimed the girl, amazed. “And you talk as much like a Dutchman as any of us!” Again the man smiled. Had he chosen he could have entertained her with several other languages; but he did not choose to subject himself to her curiosity, and so remained silent, but watching intently every movement of the servants as they prepared the tempting viands for the new-comers. Once he was left entirely alone in the room. He hastily arose, and noiselessly lifting the lid of the steaming coffeepot, emptied the whole powder he had obtained at the drug store within it, then resumed his seat and former position. “What room do the strangers have? I thought the house was full,” he carelessly asked when Mina returned to her duties. “Oh, the one over the keeping-room. We never let any but big bugs have that, you know, no matter how full we are,” replied the girl. His eyes glowed with a strange bright light for a moment, then a look of fierce determination settled over his face. Soon after he arose, and taking a candle retired to his room, which proved to be directly back of the one which Ralph Moulton occupied. The house was a wide building, with a hall running through the center. The public room and kitchen were on one side of this, and on the other the keeping-room and dining-room; and overhead were chambers corresponding.