THE WALKS ABROAD OF 



1884, at six o'clock in the evening, close to the 

 station, then in course of construction, of Villers-sur- 

 Mer. 



The station-master, smiling, made a bow of acquies- 

 cence, and returned to the duties of his office. The 

 young man was on the point of availing himself of the 

 permission he had obtained, but looking at his father 

 he stopped at once. The doctor appeared to be suffer- 

 ing from some scarcely concealed anxiety, and under- 

 standing immediately the unspoken question conveyed 

 by the eyes of his son, decided he would no longer 

 restrain himself. 



"You can scarcely understand, dear L6on, how 

 impatient I am to see if what I have heard about your 

 cousin Rene be not exaggerated. The attacks of 

 intermittent fever have caused him to cease his 

 studies abruptly some weeks before the holidays, and 

 his unusual delay this year in coming to our sea- 

 side abode causes me a good deal of anxiety about 

 him." 



And as Leon was about to reply he continued : " I 

 know what you are going to say to me, and it is true 

 that I examined him before I came away and found 

 nothing seriously wrong. But then, unfortunately, a 

 doctor's prognosis is by no means infallible, and in the 

 weeks that have passed since then he may have got 

 worse. However, in ten minutes we shall know what 

 to think," he added, as if desirous of concluding and 



