around him.

"But HOW did you escape?"

"Oh, somehow! I don't remember exactly. I don't think," he went on
reflectively, "that we had to eat Thompson--if it was HIM--at least not
then. No"--with a faint effort of recollection--"that would have been
another affair. Yes," assuringly to the eager, frightened eyes of Cousin
Jane, "you are quite right, that was something altogether different.
Dear me; one quite mixes up these things. Eh?"

A servant had entered, and after a hurried colloquy with Gabriel, the
latter turned to Uncle Sylvester--

"Excuse me, but I think there must be some mistake! We brought up your
luggage with you--two trunks--in the station wagon. A man has just
arrived with three more, which he says are yours."

"There should be five in all, I think," said Uncle Sylvester
thoughtfully.

"Maybe there are, sir, I didn't count exactly," said the servant.

"All right," said Uncle Sylvester cheerfully, turning to his brother.
"You can put them in my room or on the landing, except two marked 'L' in
a triangle. They contain some things I picked up for you and the girls.
We'll look them over in the morning. And, if you don't mind, I'll excuse
myself now and go to bed."

"But it's only half past ten," said Gabriel remonstratingly. "You don't,