The cause of the interruption, standing within the opening, saw before him, much obscured by its own numerous shadows, a broad, ill-kept, many-flowered garden, among whose untrimmed rose-trees and tangled vines, and often, also, in its old walks of pounded shell, the coco-grass and crab-grass had spread riotously, and sturdy weeds stood up in bloom.

He stepped in and drew the gate to after him.

There, very near by, was the clump of jasmine, whose ravishing odor had tempted him.

It stood just beyond a brightly moonlit path, which turned from him in a curve toward the residence, a little distance to the right, and escaped the view at a point where it seemed more than likely a door of the house might open upon it.

While he still looked, there fell upon his ear, from around that curve, a light footstep on the broken shells,--one only, and then all was for a moment still again.