“What a mere sullen creature that Rem Van Ariens is!” thought Hyde, “and with all the good temper in the world I affirm it.  I wonder what he is on the street for at this hour!  Shall I watch him?  No, that would be vile work.  I will let him alone; he may as well play the ill-natured fool on the street as in the house—­better, indeed, for some one may have a title to tell him so.  But I may assure myself of one thing, when I met him he was building castles in the future, for he was looking straight before him; and if he had been thinking of the past, he would have been looking down.  I should not wonder if it was Cornelia that filled his dreams.  Faith, we have blockheads of all ages; but on that road he will never overtake his thought”—­then with a movement of impatience he added,

“Why should I let him into my mind?—­for he is the least welcome of all intruders.—­Good gracious! how long the minutes are!  It is plain to me that Cornelia is not at home, and my letter may not even have touched her hands yet.  How shall I endure another hour?—­perhaps many hours.  Where can she have gone?  Not unlikely to Madame Jacobus.  Why did I not think of this before?  For who can help me to bear suspense better than madame?  I will go to her at once.”

He hastened his steps and soon arrived at the well-known residence of his friend.  He was amazed as soon as the door was opened to find preparations of the most evident kind for some change.  The corded trunk in the hall, the displaced furniture, all things he saw were full of the sad hurry of parting.  “What is the matter?” he asked in a voice of fear.

“I am going away for a time, Joris, my good friend,” answered madame, coming out of a shrouded and darkened parlour as she spoke.  She had on her cloak and bonnet, and before Joris could ask her another question a coach drove to the door.  “I think it is a piece of good fortune,” she continued, “to see you before I go.”

“But where are you going?”

“To Charleston.”

“But why?”

“I am going because my sister Sabrina is sick—­dying; and there is no one so near to her as I am.”

“I knew not you had a sister.”

“She is the sister of my husband.  So, then, she is twice my sister.  When Jacobus comes home he will thank me for going to his dear Sabrina.  But what brings you here so early?  Yesterday I asked for you, and I was told that you were waiting on your good mother.”

“My mother felt sure there was a letter from father, and I came at once to get it for her.”

“Was there one?”

“There was none.”

“It will come in good time.  Now, I must go.  I have not one moment to lose.  Good-bye, dear Joris!”

“For how long, my friend?”

“I know not.  Sabrina is incurably ill.  I shall stay with her till she departs.”  She said these words as they went down the steps together, and with eyes full of tears he placed her carefully in the coach and then turned sorrowfully to his own rooms.  He could not speak of his own affairs at such a moment, and he realized that there was nothing for him to do but wait as patiently as possible for Cornelia’s answer.