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extraordinary spectacle of Uncle Sylvester； robed in a gorgeous
Japanese dressing…gown of quilted satin trimmed with the fur of
the blue fox； candle in hand； leisurely examining the wall of the
passage。 Presently； drawing out a footrule from his pocket； he
actually began to measure it！ Miss Du Page saw no more。 Hurriedly
closing her door； she locked and bolted it； firmly convinced that
Gabriel Lane was harboring in the guise of Uncle Sylvester a
somnambulist； a maniac； or an impostor。
PART II。
〃It doesn't seem as if Uncle Sylvester was any the more comfortable
for having his own private bedding with him；〃 said Kitty Lane；
entering Marie's room early the next morning。 〃Bridget found him
curled up in his furs like a cat asleep on the drawing…room sofa
this morning。〃
Marie started； she remembered her last night's vision。 But some
instinctshe knew not whatkept her from revealing it at this
moment。 She only said a little ironically：
〃Perhaps he missed the wild freedom of his barbaric life in a small
bedroom。〃
〃No。 Bridget says he said something about being smoked out of his
room by a ridiculous wood fire。 The idea！ As if a man brought up
in the woods couldn't stand a little smoke。 Nothat's his excuse！
Marie！do you know what I firmly believe？〃
〃No；〃 said Marie quickly。
〃I firmly believe that poor man is ashamed of his past rough life；
and does everything he can to forget it。 That's why he affects
those ultra…civilized and effeminate ways； and goes to the other
extreme； as people always do。〃
〃Then you think he's really reformed； and isn't likely to take an
impulse to rob and murder anybody again？〃
〃Why； Marie； what nonsense！〃
Nevertheless； Uncle Sylvester appeared quite fresh and cheerful at
breakfast。 It seemed that he had lit the fire before undressing；
but the green logs were piled so far into the room that the smoke
nearly suffocated him。 Fearful of alarming the house by letting
the smoke escape through the door； he opened the window； and when
it had partly dispersed； sought refuge himself from the arctic air
of his bedroom in the drawing…room。 So far the act did not seem
inconsistent with his sanity； or even intelligence and consideration
for others。 But Marie fixed upon him a pair of black； audacious
eyes。
〃Did you ever walk in your sleep； Mr。 Lane？〃
〃No； but〃thoughtfully breaking an egg〃I have ridden； I think。〃
〃In your sleep？ Oh； do tell us all about it！〃 said Cousins Jane
and Emma in chorus。
Uncle Sylvester cast a resigned glance out of the window。 〃Oh；
yescertainly； it isn't much。 You see at one time I was in the
habit of making long monotonous journeys； and they were often
exhausting； and；〃 he added； becoming wearied as if at the
recollection； 〃always dreadfully tiresome。 As the trail was
sometimes very uncertain and dangerous； I rode a very surefooted
mule that could go anywhere where there was space big enough to set
her small hoofs upon。 One night I was coming down the slope of a
mountain towards a narrow valley and river that were crossed by an
old； abandoned flume； of which nothing was now left but the upright
trestle…work and long horizontal string…piece。 As the trail was
very difficult and the mule's pace was slow； I found myself dozing
at times； and at last I must have fallen asleep。 I think I must
have been awakened by a singular regularity in the movement of the
muleor else it was the monotony of step that had put me to sleep
and the cessation of it awakened me。 You see； at first I was not
certain that I wasn't really dreaming。 For the trail seemed to
have disappeared； the wall of rock on one side had vanished also；
and there appeared to be nothing ahead of me but the opposite
hillside。〃
Uncle Sylvester stopped to look out of the window at a passing
carriage。 Then he went on。 〃The moon came out； and I saw what had
happened。 The mule； either of her own free will； or obeying some
movement I had given the reins in my sleep； had swerved from the
trail； got on top of the flume； and was actually walking across the
valley on the narrow string…piece； a foot wide； half a mile long；
and sixty feet from the ground。 I knew；〃 he continued； examining
his napkin thoughtfully； 〃that she was perfectly surefooted； and
that if I kept quiet she could make the passage； but I suddenly
remembered that midway there was a break and gap of twenty feet in
the continuous line； and that the string…piece was too narrow to
allow her to turn round and retrace her steps。〃
〃Good heavens！〃 said Cousin Jane。
〃I beg your pardon？〃 said Uncle Sylvester politely。
〃I only said； 'Good heavens！' Well？〃 she added impatiently。
〃Well？〃 repeated Uncle Sylvester vaguely。 〃Oh； that's all。 I only
wanted to explain what I meant by saying I had ridden in my sleep。〃
〃But；〃 said Cousin Jane； leaning across the table with grim
deliberation and emphasizing each word with the handle of her
knife； 〃howdidyouandthatmule get down？〃
〃Oh； with slings and ropes； you knowso；〃 demonstrating by placing
his napkin…ring in a sling made of his napkin。
〃And I suppose you carried the slings and ropes with you in your
five trunks！〃 gasped Cousin Jane。
〃No。 Fellows on the river brought 'em in the morning。 Mighty spry
chaps； those river miners。〃
〃Very！〃 said Cousin Jane。
Breakfast over； they were not surprised that their sybaritic guest
excused himself from an inspection of the town in the frigid
morning air； and declined joining a skating party to the lake
on the ground that he could keep warmer indoors with half the
exertion。 An hour later found him standing before the fire in
Gabriel Lane's study； looking languidly down on his elder brother。
〃Then； as far as I can see；〃 he said quietly； 〃you have made ducks
and drakes of your share of the property； and that virtually you
are in the hands of this man Gunn and his father。〃
〃You're putting it too strongly；〃 said Gabriel deprecatingly。 〃In
the first place； my investments with Gunn's firm are by no means
failures； and they only hold as security a mortgage on the forest
land below the hill。 It's scarcely worth the money。 I would have
sold it long ago； but it had been a fancy of father's to keep it
wild land for the sake of old times and the healthiness of the
town。〃
〃There used to be a log cabin there； where the old man had a habit
of camping out whenever he felt cramped by civilization up here；
wasn't there？〃 said Uncle Sylvester meditatively。
〃Yes；〃 said Gabriel impatiently； 〃it's still therebut to return
to Mr。 Gunn。 He has taken a fancy to Kitty； and even if I could
not lift the mortgage； there's some possibility that the land would
still remain in the family。〃
〃I think I'll drive over this afternoon and take a look at the old
shanty if this infernal weather lets up。〃
〃Yes； but just now； my dear Sylvester； let us attend to business。
I want to show you those investments。〃
〃Oh； certainly； trot 'em out；〃 said his brother； plucking up a
simulation of interest as he took a seat at the table。
From a drawer of his desk Gabriel brought out a bundle of
prospectuses and laid them before Uncle Sylvester。
A languid smile