[H-rts] attended regularly any of the many private academies,

[Smolinski <si...@in...>]

 passed over the man's face. He seized my arm and exclaimed fiercely,--
"What are you doing here?" Without appearing to recognize him, I
hastened to explain that my presence there was quite accidental, and it
was in attempting to retreat quietly, after discovering I was likely to
prove an intruder, that my falling over some stones had attracted his
notice. Thus saying, and bowing, I was about to proceed homeward, when
the stranger suddenly exclaimed,-- "Stop!" He came up close to me. Every
trace of angry excitement had vanished. Calm and self-possessed, but
very mournfully, he said,-- "Are you willing I should put my arm in
yours, and walk back with you to the inn? I am alone,--and God above
knows," he added, after a pause, "how utterly so." I could only bow an
assent, for this sudden exhibition of weakness was annoying to me. My
new acquaintance took my arm, much in the manner a child would do, and
we walked along together. "I am staying at the same house with you," he
said, as we proceeded. "Did you know it?" "No, I did not." "Yes," he
continued,--"I saw you when you dismounted, and I knew you at onc