"
"State your cases." The young artist shut up his sketch-book, and
rested his head upon his hands with a face of mock solemnity.
"Ladies first! Go along Laura, though I think I know something
of your adventure already."
"It was this morning, Hector," she said. "Oh, by the way, the story will
make you wild. I had forgotten that. However, you mustn't mind,
because, really, the poor fellow was perfectly mad."
"What on earth was it?" asked the young officer, his eyes travelling
from the bank-note to his _fiancee_.
"Oh, it was harmless enough, and yet you will confess it was very queer.
I had gone out for a walk, but as the snow began to fall I took shelter
under the shed which the workmen have built at the near end of the great
new house. The men have gone, you know, and the owner is supposed to be
coming to-morrow, but the shed is still standing. I was sitting
there upon a packing-case when a man came down the road and stopped
under the same shelter. He was a quiet, pale-faced man, very tall and
thin, not much more than thirty, I should think, poorly dressed, but
with the look and bearing of a gentleman. He asked me one or two
questions about the village and the people, which, of course, I
answered, until at last we found ourselves chatting away in the
pleasantest and easiest fashion about all sorts of things.
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