Their peculiarities took immediate possession of a mind entirely unoccupied, nor did I make any effort to banish them from my thought.

From the instant I looked upon these two I felt convinced that, through some strange vagary of fate, we were destined to know more of each other; that our life lines were ordained to touch, and become entangled, somewhere in that mystery of the Western World to which I had been condemned.

I cannot analyze this conception, but merely record its presence; the thought took firm possession of me.

Under the circumstances I was too far away to overhear conversation.

The shuffling of feet, the rattling of chains, the harsh voices of the guard, made it impossible to distinguish any words passing between the two.