“Had you no light?”
“Nuffin’ but a tallow dip—dat didn’ show much.”
“And you can’t be certain about the color of the clothing?”
“No, Marse Doctor; on’y it were dark. I sort o’ t’ought it were dark black, but I dessay it were dark red, jes’ as you say.”
The doctor asked a few more questions, and then arose to depart. He put a half dollar into the hand of the old woman, who thanked him heartily. And then he remounted his horse and rode away along the same bridle-path that led back through the thicket to the little bridge crossing the creek, and by a circuit through the next woods up to the mansion house.
He found Tudor Hereward walking up and down on the front piazza. He had convalesced so very slowly that he had not yet been strong enough to take a ride.
Hereward dropped heavily into a chair as the doctor dismounted, threw his bridle to Steve, who came up to take it, and walked up the steps.
“Any news, doctor?” anxiously inquired Mr. Hereward.
“Not a trace of Lilith yet. No, I did not come to bring news, but to make a few investigations here in the house that may lead to something.”
“Very well, doctor; you have carte blanche. But what is the nature of the investigation in this instance?” wearily inquired Hereward.