Page 457 of 896

When it fell dark again, Mr. Lorry asked him as before:

"Dear Doctor, will you go out?"

As before, he repeated, "Out?"

"Yes; for a walk with me. Why not?"

This time, Mr. Lorry feigned to go out when he could extract no

answer from him, and, after remaining absent for an hour,

returned. In the meanwhile, the Doctor had removed to the seat in

the window, and had sat there looking down at the plane-tree;

but, on Mr. Lorry's return, he slipped away to his bench.

The time went very slowly on, and Mr. Lorry's hope darkened, and

his heart grew heavier again, and grew yet heavier and heavier

every day. The third day came and went, the fourth, the fifth.

Five days, six days, seven days, eight days, nine days.