Part 3 (1/2)

”What is it?” I exclaimed eagerly, my heart beginning to beat very fast.

”Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” said my brother, advancing a little into the room. ”I just thought I'd look in on my way to bed to rea.s.sure you.

I have seen _nothing_, absolutely nothing.”

I do not know if I was relieved or disappointed.

”Was it moonlight?” I asked abruptly.

”No,” he replied, ”unluckily the moon did not come out at all, though it is nearly at the full. I carried in a small lamp, which made things less eerie. But I should have preferred the moon.”

I glanced up at him. Was it the reflection of the candle he held, or did he look paler than usual?

”And,” I added suddenly, ”did you _feel_ nothing?”

He hesitated.

”It--it was chilly, certainly,” he said. ”I fancy I must have dosed a little, for I did feel pretty cold once or twice.”

”Ah, indeed!” thought I to myself. ”And how about Tim?”

Phil smiled, but not very successfully.

”Well,” he said, ”I must confess Tim did not altogether like it. He started snarling, then he growled, and finished up with whining in a decidedly unhappy way. He's rather upset--poor old chap!”

And then I saw that the dog was beside him--rubbing up close to Philip's legs--a very dejected, reproachful Tim--all the starch taken out of him.

”Good-night, Phil,” I said, turning round on my pillow. ”I'm glad you are satisfied. To-morrow morning you must tell me which of your theories holds most water. Good-night, and many thanks.”

He was going to say more, but my manner for the moment stopped him, and he went off.

Poor old Phil!

We had it out the next morning. He and I alone. He was _not_ satisfied.

Far from it. In the bottom of his heart I believe it was a strange yearning for a breath of human companions.h.i.+p, for the sound of a human voice, that had made him look in on me the night before.

_For he had felt the cold pa.s.sing him._

But he was very plucky.

”I'll sit up again to-night, Leila,” he said.

”Not to-night,” I objected. ”This sort of adventure requires one to be at one's best. If you take my advice you will go to bed early and have a good stretch of sleep, so that you will be quite fresh by to-morrow.

There will be a moon for some nights still.”

”Why do you keep harping on the moon?” said Phil rather crossly, for him.

”Because--I have some idea that it is only in the moonlight that--that anything is to be _seen_.”

”Bos.h.!.+” said my brother politely--he was certainly rather discomposed--”we are talking at cross-purposes. You are satisfied----”