“I am very sorry—” she began. “It is unfortunate Mark is not here or that you did not take the trouble to inquire beforehand. For he decidedly objects to anything of the kind here in his absence.” Truly, Alice was becoming brave. “I am sorry for Mark’s blindness,” the Professor said, with priestly assumption. “Mark blind? How very strange. I should never have suspected it,” said Tibby with childish naivete. “He is blind to the truth, Miss Waring. A sort of moral blindness, which is the worst form of ophthalmia.” “Oh!” Tibby opened her eyes to their widest extent and met his look squarely. Then her eyes narrowed until only a rim of blue was visible, and she did not take them off the visitor. It soon became evident that the Professor was annoyed by this childish scrutiny. He changed his position several times and finally turned upon the girl abruptly. “Have we ever met before, Miss Waring?” “I think not,” Tibby said, with an emphasis that sounded much like “I hope not,” but she did not relax her persistent watchfulness. Surely the girl, though handsome, was very ill-mannered. She acted like a child who had met an interesting specimen. “Have you had any new experiences, Mrs. Cramer?” the man asked, again changing his position nervously. He was evidently upon the defensive so far as Tibby was concerned, and did not care to longer challenge her attention. “N—no,” said Alice. “I think I have been less annoyed by unpleasant influences, lately,”—then, catching Tibby’s eye,—“since you went away,” she added. Professor Russell gave Alice a sharp glance, as if to determine whether any disrespect was intended by her remark, while Tibby’s eyes danced mirthfully. “We trust,” said Mrs. Wylie, with a dignified raising of her chin, “that as Mrs. Cramer is getting her nerves under better control, she will not be haunted any more by imaginary spectres.” “You think them, then, a mere delusion of the senses?” “Most assuredly.” “But if I should tell you that I, who am not in the least nervous, can see forms about Mrs. Cramer, why should she not see them?” “Because they are not there. Because you make her see them. Mr. Russell, we feel, my brother and I, that you have done a serious wrong to Alice, and I know if Mark were here he would not permit you to see her.” “Eh? What? Not to see her? Mark must be beside himself. Why, I am sorry. I regret very much that—that—that—Why, bless you! how sleepy this warm weather makes me. I have really allowed myself to become wearied. Perhaps I ate too hearty a dinner. Mrs. Cramer, may I trouble you for a glass of water?” And Russell started up and passed his hands before his eyes as if to brush cobwebs from them. “I have been walking about in the heat all day and it’s almost overcome me, I reckon.” Alice rose to go to the well at the back of the house, and it was several moments before she returned.