As a fact he had that morning set the strands of a new rope a-weaving which was to bring them together again in a strange and terrible relationship.

Mrs.
Adair followed him out of the park, and walked home very thoughtfully.
Durrance had just one week wherein to provide his equipment and arrange his estate in Devonshire.

It passed in a continuous hurry of preparation, so that his newspaper lay each day unfolded in his rooms.
The general was to travel overland to Brindisi; and so on an evening of wind and rain, toward the end of July, Durrance stepped from the Dover pier into the mail-boat for Calais.

In spite of the rain and the gloomy night, a small crowd had gathered to give the general a send-off.

As the ropes were cast off, a feeble cheer was raised; and before the cheer had ended, Durrance found himself beset by a strange illusion.