Shady's perplexities were great. How to account to Mrs. Gillies for his long absence, without raising her woman's curiosity, he knew not; and the knives! he thought, 'Yes, I have the knives,' putting his hand to his pocket. While the domestic difficulties were being overcome, we will follow the stranger. He had told Shady not to hurry himself with the key, for the fresh air, and a stroll among the ruins, would better accord with his taste than to be again immediately immured in dust and semi-darkness. While examining a curious archway, he heard horse hoofs, and looking down saw a man dismount, fasten his horse to a tree, and climb the bank through a place where the wall was very low, and would permit scaling easily. He soon cleared the wall, and stood upon the loose stones within the quadrangle.
The stranger had time to observe him, being hidden in the shadow of the archway; there was nothing remarkable in his appearance; his dress was plain, his age a little more or less than sixty. The stranger, quitting the archway, advanced to meet him, looking fixedly upon his face while he spoke.
'Mr. Anthony Bloodworth, I think?' The horseman started, but replied in the affirmative.
'I am glad,' said the stranger. 'I have long had this to deliver, and am glad to be rid of it;' and he placed in his hands a small paper parcel; 'but,' he said, before he relinquished his hold of it, 'there is some receipt or acknowledgment that I must have.'
'What is it? what is it?' asked Bloodworth; 'I must see it before I can give a receipt.'
'The receipt is written out for you—you have but to sign it.' Bloodworth opened the packet, which contained two papers, with a letter.
He glanced continually from the paper to the stranger, and at last, in a husky voice, asked him how long it had been in his possession.
'I see,' he continued; 'you were acquainted with my correspondent.'
'Yes,' said the stranger, carelessly, 'I knew him well.'
'Have you been long about here?' asked Bloodworth, who was beginning to put the papers into his pocket.