And this occupation was directly provided, while the Doctor set forth on his day’s duties, and at the same time to inquire about the strange apparition of the young girl.  He was so convinced that there was a vein of insanity about her, that he was very sure that questioning her only excited her the more.  Just as he had parted from her, some compunction seized her, and she followed him to the door.

“There is my father,” said she.

“Your father! where shall I find him?” asked the Doctor.

“Oh, he could not help me,” she replied; “it is a long time since he has been able to direct affairs.  He has scarcely been conscious of my presence, and will hardly feel my absence, his mind is so weak.”

“But where can I find him?” persisted the Doctor.

“He did not come out,” said Isabella; “the White Queen would not allow it, indeed.”

“Stop, stop!” exclaimed the Doctor, “we are on forbidden ground.”

He drove away.

“So there is insanity in the family,” he thought to himself.  “I am quite interested in this case.  A new form of monomania!  I should be quite sorry to lose sight of it.  I shall be loath to give her up to her friends.”

But he was not yet put to that test.  No one could give him any light with regard to the strange girl.  He went first to the Willows, and found there so much confusion that he could hardly persuade any one to listen to his questions.  Mrs. Fogerty’s brother, the geologist, had been riding that morning, and had fallen from his horse and broken his leg.  The Doctor arrived just in time to be of service in setting it.  Then he must linger some time to see that the old gentleman was comfortable, so that he was obliged to stay nearly the whole morning.  He was much amused at the state of disturbance in which he left the family.  The whole house was in confusion, looking after some lost chessmen.

“There was nothing,” said Mrs. Fogerty, apologetically, “that would soothe her brother so much as a game of chess.  That, perhaps, might keep him quiet.  He would be willing to play chess with Mr. Fogerty by the day together.  It was so strange! they had a game the night before, and now some of the pieces could not be found.  Her brother had lost the game, and to-day he was so eager to take his revenge!”

“How absurd!” thought the Doctor; “what trifling things people interest themselves in!  Here is this old man more disturbed at losing his game of chess than he is at breaking his leg!  It is different in my profession, where one deals with life and death.  Here is this young girl’s fate in my hands, and they talk to me of the loss of a few paltry chessmen!”

The “foreign people” at the cottage knew nothing of Isabella.  No one had seen her the night before, or at any time.  Dr. Lester even drove ten miles to Dr. Giles’s Retreat for the Insane, to see if it were possible that a patient could have wandered away from there.  Dr. Giles was deeply interested in the account Dr. Lester gave.  He would very gladly take such a person under his care.