But now, over his bewildered spirit there swept another vision, new and fair, the vision of a human sympathy that might make the weak strong. If this wise girl could know--could _see_? Before the hope of her helpfulness, his foolish pride would give way. He could nerve himself to confession. The next moment he knew that to lay his burden on the innocent soul of another, to seek a love which must suffer in his suffering, would be of all cowardly methods of escape the most contemptible. He must try to think more clearly. He managed to stand up, and to find the brandy, which, with most pitiful foresight, he had brought with him. He had drunk it before he suddenly felt how significant was the eagerness with which he took it. It was another terror, indeed, and he threw himself down again on the bed and lay half dozing, till with the daylight and the singing of the birds, he started awake, with his nerves all ajar, and without energy enough to undress and go to bed properly. He managed, however, to make his appearance downstairs, where Rawdie's cheerful bark recalled the poor little dog's terror of the night before. Guy picked him up, and looked into his cairn-gorm coloured eyes, but no change had come into them. Godfrey, too, was eating his breakfast, and making Jeanie talk about Constancy. Guy played with his tea-cup, and made critical remarks on the young ladies, till the trap that he had ordered to take him to the station appeared, when he cut short his farewells, and went off hastily, without giving his aunt time to say that she wished him to come back again shortly. As he grew calmer with the increasing distance, he took a resolution, which was the first beginning of a struggle against his fate. Cuthbert Staunton arrived in due time, in a holiday humour, and having plenty of conversation, he occupied Mrs Palmer's attention until the hour came for the two young men to wish her good night, and betake themselves to a room devoted to the use of Guy and Godfrey, where they could talk and smoke at their leisure. "Yours is a charming climate," said the visitor, "where any one may light a fire in August with a clear conscience. Short of southern moonlight, etc, there is nothing so delightful." "Sit down in front of it," said Guy; "we're generally glad of one here, and it looks cheerful. Now, I'm expecting you to put me up to all the newest lights--one gets rusty down here. About the spooks, for instance, the Miss Vyners were talking of in London. I want to examine into them a bit. Did you ever come across a fellow who had seen one--by any chance?" "No," said Staunton. "I should like to come across a first-hand one, very much." "Well, here's your chance, then. I have--twice." "Seen a man who has seen one?" "No, better than that, seen the genuine article, myself. I--I want to know how to manage him. It seems the correct thing, nowadays, to entertain ghosts and imps of all kinds."