Whatever it was seemed to be of the mind rather than the body, and Ralph could find nothing in his father’s circumstances calculated to worry any one in the slightest degree.  He planned, vaguely, to invite a friend who was skilled in the diagnosis of obscure mental disorders to spend a week-end with him, a little later on, and to ask him to observe his father closely.  He did not doubt but that Anthony Dexter would see quickly through so flimsy a pretence, but, unless he improved, something of the kind would have to be done soon.

Meanwhile, his heart yearned strangely toward Miss Evelina.  It was altogether possible that something, might be done.  Ralph was modest, but new discoveries were constantly being made, and he knew that his own knowledge was more abreast of the times than his father’s could be.  At any rate, he was not so easily satisfied.

He was trying faithfully to forget Araminta, but was not succeeding.  The sweet, childish face haunted him as constantly as the veiled phantom haunted his father, but in a different way.  Through his own unhappiness, he came into kinship with all the misery of the world.  He longed to uplift, to help, to heal.

He decided to try once more to talk with Miss Evelina, to ask her, point blank, if need be, to let him see her face.  He knew that his father lacked sympathy, and he was sure that when Miss Evelina once thoroughly understood him, she would be willing to let him help her.

On the way uphill, he considered how he should approach the subject.  He had already planned to make an ostensible errand of the book he had loaned Araminta.  Perhaps Miss Evelina had read it, or would like to, and he could begin, in that way, to talk to her.

When he reached the gate, the house seemed deserted, though the front door was ajar.  It was a warm, sweet afternoon in early Summer, and the world was very still, except for the winged folk of wood and field.

He tapped gently at the door, but there was no answer.  He went around to the back door, but it was closed, and there was no sign that the place was occupied, except quantities of white chiffon hung upon the line.  Being a man, Ralph did not perceive that Miss Evelina had washed every veil she possessed.

He went back to the front of the house again and found that the door was still ajar.  She might have gone away, though it seemed unlikely, or it was not impossible that she might have been taken suddenly ill and was unable to come to the door.

Ralph went in, softly, as he had often done before.  Miss Evelina had frequently left the door open for him at the hour he was expected to visit his patient.

He paused a moment in the hall, but heard no sound save slow, deep breathing.  He turned into the parlour, but stopped on the threshold as if he had been suddenly changed to stone.