of　that　sort　himself；　and　he　was　really　anxious　that　the
  needful　supply　entrusted　to　him　should　reach　Somerset's　hands。
  He　was　on　the　bridge　five　minutes　before　the　hour；　and　when
  the　clock　struck　a　hand　was　laid　on　his　shoulder：　　turning　he
  beheld　Dare。
  Knowing　that　the　youth　was　loitering　somewhere　along　the
  coast；　for　they　had　frequently　met　together　on　De　Stancy's
  previous　visit；　the　latter　merely　said；　'Don't　bother　me　for
  the　present；　Willy；　I　have　an　engagement。　　You　can　see　me　at
  the　hotel　this　evening。'
  'When　you　have　given　me　the　hundred　pounds　I　will　fly　like　a
  rocket；　captain；'　said　the　young　gentleman。　　'I　keep　the
  appointment　instead　of　the　other　man。'
  De　Stancy　looked　hard　at　him。　　'Howdo　you　know　about　this？'
  he　asked　breathlessly。
  'I　have　seen　him。'
  De　Stancy　took　the　young　man　by　the　two　shoulders　and　gazed
  into　his　eyes。　　The　scrutiny　seemed　not　altogether　to　remove
  the　suspicion　which　had　suddenly　started　up　in　his　mind。　　'My
  soul；'　he　said；　dropping　his　arms；　'can　this　be　true？'
  'What？'
  'You　know。'
  Dare　shrugged　his　shoulders；　'Are　you　going　to　hand　over　the
  money　or　no？'　he　said。
  'I　am　going　to　make　inquiries；'　said　De　Stancy；　walking　away
  with　a　vehement　tread。
  'Captain；　you　are　without　natural　affection；'　said　Dare；
  walking　by　his　side；　in　a　tone　which　showed　his　fear　that　he
  had　over…estimated　that　emotion。　　'See　what　I　have　done　for
  you。　　You　have　been　my　constant　care　and　anxiety　for　I　can't
  tell　how　long。　　I　have　stayed　awake　at　night　thinking　how　I
  might　best　give　you　a　good　start　in　the　world　by　arranging
  this　judicious　marriage；　when　you　have　been　sleeping　as　sound
  as　a　top　with　no　cares　upon　your　mind　at　all；　and　now　I　have
  got　into　a　scrapeas　the　most　thoughtful　of　us　may　sometimes…
  …you　go　to　make　inquiries。'
  'I　have　promised　the　lady　to　whom　this　money　belongswhose
  generosity　has　been　shamefully　abused　in　some　waythat　I　will
  deliver　it　into　no　hands　but　those　of　one　man；　and　he　has　not
  yet　appeared。　　I　therefore　go　to　find　him。'
  Dare　laid　his　hand　upon　De　Stancy's　arm。　　'Captain；　we　are
  both　warm；　and　punctilious　on　points　of　honour；　this　will　come
  to　a　split　between　us　if　we　don't　mind。　　So；　not　to　bring
  matters　to　a　crisis；　lend　me　ten　pounds　here　to　enable　me　to
  get　home；　and　I'll　disappear。'
  In　a　state　bordering　on　distraction；　eager　to　get　the　young
  man　out　of　his　sight　before　worse　revelations　should　rise　up
  between　them；　De　Stancy　without　pausing　in　his　walk　gave　him
  the　sum　demanded。　　He　soon　reached　the　post…office；　where　he
  inquired　if　a　Mr。　Somerset　had　left　any　directions　for
  forwarding　letters。
  It　was　just　what　Somerset　had　done。　　De　Stancy　was　told　that
  Mr。　Somerset　had　commanded　that　any　letters　should　be　sent　on
  to　him　at　the　Hotel　Victoria；　San　Remo。
  It　was　now　evident　that　the　scheme　of　getting　money　from　Paula
  was　either　of　Dare's　invention；　or　that　Somerset；　ashamed　of
  his　first　impulse；　had　abandoned　it　as　speedily　as　it　had　been
  formed。　　De　Stancy　turned　and　went　out。　　Dare；　in　keeping　with
  his　promise；　had　vanished。　　Captain　De　Stancy　resolved　to　do
  nothing　in　the　case　till　further　events　should　enlighten　him；
  beyond　sending　a　line　to　Miss　Power　to　inform　her　that
  Somerset　had　not　appeared；　and　that　he　therefore　retained　the
  money　for　further　instructions。
  BOOK　THE　FIFTH。　　DE　STANCY　AND　PAULA。
  I。
  Miss　Power　was　reclining　on　a　red　velvet　couch　in　the　bedroom
  of　an　old…fashioned　red　hotel　at　Strassburg；　and　her　friend
  Miss　De　Stancy　was　sitting　by　a　window　of　the　same　apartment。
  They　were　both　rather　wearied　by　a　long　journey　of　the
  previous　day。　　The　hotel　overlooked　the　large　open　Kleber
  Platz；　erect　in　the　midst　of　which　the　bronze　statue　of
  General　Kleber　received　the　rays　of　a　warm　sun　that　was
  powerless　to　brighten　him。　　The　whole　square；　with　its　people
  and　vehicles　going　to　and　fro　as　if　they　had　plenty　of　time；
  was　visible　to　Charlotte　in　her　chair；　but　Paula　from　her
  horizontal　position　could　see　nothing　below　the　level　of　the
  many　dormered　house…tops　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　Platz。
  After　watching　this　upper　storey　of　the　city　for　some　time　in
  silence；　she　asked　Charlotte　to　hand　her　a　binocular　lying　on
  the　table；　through　which　instrument　she　quietly　regarded　the
  distant　roofs。
  'What　strange　and　philosophical　creatures　storks　are；'　she
  said。　　'They　give　a　taciturn；　ghostly　character　to　the　whole
  town。'
  The　birds　were　crossing　and　recrossing　the　field　of　the　glass
  in　their　flight　hither　and　thither　between　the　Strassburg
  chimneys；　their　sad　grey　forms　sharply　outlined　against　the
  sky；　and　their　skinny　legs　showing　beneath　like　the　limbs　of
  dead　martyrs　in　Crivelli's　emaciated　imaginings。　　The
  indifference　of　these　birds　to　all　that　was　going　on　beneath
  them　impressed　her：　　to　harmonize　with　their　solemn　and　silent
  movements　the　houses　beneath　should　have　been　deserted；　and
  grass　growing　in　the　streets。
  Behind　the　long　roofs　thus　visible　to　Paula　over　the　window…
  sill；　with　their　tiers　of　dormer…windows；　rose　the　cathedral
  spire　in　airy　openwork；　forming　the　highest　object　in　the
  scene；　it　suggested　something　which　for　a　long　time　she
  appeared　unwilling　to　utter；　but　natural　instinct　had　its　way。
  'A　place　like　this；'　she　said；　'where　he　can　study　Gothic
  architecture；　would；　I　should　have　thought；　be　a　spot　more
  congenial　to　him　than　Monaco。'
  The　person　referred　to　was　the　misrepresented　Somerset；　whom
  the　two　had　been　gingerly　discussing　from　time　to　time；
  allowing　any　casual　subject；　such　as　that　of　the　storks；　to
  interrupt　the　personal　one　at　every　two　or　three　sentences。
  'It　would　be　more　like　him　to　be　here；'　replied　Miss　De
  Stancy；　trusting　her　tongue　with　only　the　barest　generalities
  on　this　matter。
  Somerset　was　again　dismissed　for　the　stork　topic；　but　Paula
  could　not　let　him　alone；　and　she　presently　resumed；　as　if　an
  irresistible　fascination　compelled　what　judgment　had
  forbidden：　　'The　strongest…minded　persons　are　sometimes　caught
  unawares　at　that　place；　if　they　once　think　they　will　retrieve
  their　first　losses；　and　I　am　not　aware　that　he　is　particularly
  strong…minded。'
  For　a　moment　Charlotte　looked　at　her　with　a　mixed　expression；
  in　which　there　was　deprecation　that　a　woman　with　any　feeling
  should　criticize　Somerset　so　frigidly；　and　relief　that　it　was
  Paula　who　did　so。　　For；　notwithstanding　her　assumption　that
  Somerset　could　never　be　anything　more　to　her　than　he　was
  already；　Charlotte's　heart　would　occasionally　step　down　and
  trouble　her　views　so　expressed。
  Whether　looking　through　a　glass　at　distant　objects　enabled
  Paula　to　bottle　up　her　affection　for　the　absent　one；　or
  whether　her　friend　Charlotte　had　so　little　personality　in
  Paula's　regard　that　she　could　commune　with　her　as　with　a　lay
  figure；　it　was　certain　that　she　evinced　remarkable　ease　in
  speaking　of　Somerset；　resuming　her　words　about　him　in　the　tone
  of　one　to　whom　he　was　at　most　an　ordinary　professional
  adviser。　　'It　would　be　very　awkward　for　the　works　at　the
  castle　if　he　has　got　into　a　scrape。　　I　suppose　the　builders
  were　well　posted　with　instructions　before　he　left：　　but　he
  ought　certainly　to　return　soon。　　Why　did　he　leave　England　at
  all　just　now？'
  'Perhaps　it　was　to　see　you。'
  'He　should　have　waited；　it　would　not　have　been　so　dreadfully
  long　to　May　or　June。　　Charlotte；　how　can　a　man　who　does　such　a
  hare…brained　thing　as　this　be　deemed　trustworthy　in　an
  important　work　like　that　of　rebuilding　Stancy　Castle？'
  There　was　such　stress　in　the　inquiry　that；　whatever
  factitiousness　had　gone　before；　Charlotte　perceived　Paula　to
  be　at　last　speaking　her　mind；　and　it　seemed　as　if　Somerset
  must　have　considerably　lost　ground　in　her　opinion；　or　she
  would　not　have　criticized　him　thus。
  'My　brother　will　tell　us　full　particulars　when　he　comes：
  perhaps　it　is　not　at　all　as　we　suppose；'　said　Charlotte。　　She
  strained　her　eyes　across　the　Platz　and　added；　'He　ought　to
  have　been　here　before　this　time。'
  While　they　waited　and　talked；　Paula　still　observing　the
  storks；　the　hotel　omnibus　came　round　the　corner　from　the
  station。　　'I　believe　he　has　arrived；'　resumed　Miss　De　Stancy；
  'I　see　something　that　looks　like　his　portmanteau　on　the　top　of
  the　omnibus。　。　。　。　　Yes；　it　is　his　baggage。　　I'll　run　down　to
  him。'
  De　Stancy　had　obtained　six　weeks'　additional　leave　on　account
  of　his　health；　which　had　somewhat　suffered　in　India。　　The
  first　use　he　made　of　his　extra　time　was　in　hastening　back　to
  meet　the　travelling　ladies　here　at　Strassburg。　　Mr。　Power　and
  Mrs。　Goodman　were　also　at　the　hotel；　and　when　Charlotte　got
  downstairs；　the　former　was　welcoming　De　Stancy　at　the　door。
  Paula　had　not　seen　him　since　he　set　out　from　Genoa　for　Nice；
  commissioned　by　her　to　deliver　the　hundred　pounds　to　Somerset。
  His　note；　stating　that　he　had　failed　to　meet　Somerset；
  contained　no　details；　and　she　guessed　that　he　would　soon
  appear　before　her　now　to　answer　any　question　about　that
  peculiar　errand。
  Her　anticipations　were　justified　by　the　event；　she　had　no
  sooner　gone　into　the　next　sitting…room　than　Charlotte　De
  Stancy　appeared　and　asked　if　her　brother　might　come　up。　　The
  closest　observer　would　have　been　in　doubt　whether　Paula's
  r