"
"Until when?"
"Until one evening in March, towards the end of the month, when the
daylight lasts till seven of the clock, and my father let me remain
later than usual with him, and then took me back as was his custom.
The roads were quiet, and there were few abroad as we neared
Highgate; yet I could not help thinking that I always heard steps
behind us, and ever and anon I looked over my shoulder. I did not
always see men following, but sometimes I did, and it seemed always
as though there were four of them together. Once I heard a laugh
that I seemed to remember, and I felt a qualm of fear, I scarce
knew why."
"You spoke no word to your father?"
"No; I thought myself the victim of some foolish fear, and I wanted
not to trouble him. He bade me goodbye at the gate, and saw me run
up to the house and let myself in. I went up straight to my window
to wave my hand to him as was my wont, and just at that moment four
men lounged by arm-in-arm with swaggering mien."
"And you think it was those same men?"
"I was almost sure of it, and hastily withdrew, glad that they did
not follow my father down the hill, but walked slowly on in the
opposite direction, and then turned and paced slowly back two or
three times.
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