his baggage the old man with the cut might or might not be his father he might or he might not be on the true scent but he was certainly on the edge of an exciting mystery and he promised himself that he would not his observation until he had got to the bottom of the secret from the window of his new apartment francis commanded a complete view into the garden of the house with the green blinds immediately below him a very comely chestnut with wide boughs sheltered a pair of rustic tables where people might dine in the height of summer on all sides save one a dense vegetation concealed the soil but there between the tables and the house he saw a patch of gravel walk leading from the to the studying the places from between the boards of the which he not open for fear of attention francis observed but little to indicate the manners of the inhabitants and that little argued no more than a close reserve and a taste lor solitude the garden was the house had the air of a prison the green blinds were all drawn down upon the outside the door into the ver the diamond was closed the garden as far as he could see it was left entirely to itself in the evening sunshine a modest curl of smoke from a single chimney alone to the presence of living people in order that he might not be entirely idle and to give a certain color to his way of life francis had purchased s in french which he set to copy and on the top of his and seated on the floor against the wall for he was equally without chair or table from time to time he would rise and cast a glance into the of the house with the green blinds but the windows remained closed and the garden empty only late in the evening did anything occur to his continued attention between nine and ten the sharp of a bell aroused him from a fit of and he sprang to his in time to hear an important noise of locks being opened and bars removed and to see mr carrying a lantern and clothed in a flowing robe of black velvet with a skull cap to match issue from under the and proceed leisurely toward the garden gate the sound of and bars was then repeated and a moment after francis perceived the into the house in the light of the lantern an individual of the lowest and most appearance half an hour afterward the visitor was to the street and mr setting his light upon one of the rustic tables finished a cigar with great deliberation under the foliage of the chestnut francis peering through a clear space among the leaves was able to follow his gestures as he threw away the ash or enjoyed a copious and beheld a cloud upon the old man s brow and a forcible action of the lips which to some deep and probably painful train of thought the cigar was already almost at an end when the voice of a young girl was heard suddenly crying the hour from the interior of the house new nights in a moment replied john and with that he threw away the stump and taking up the lantern sailed away under the for the night as soon as the door was closed absolute darkness fell upon the house francis might try his as much as he pleased he could not detect so much as a single of light below a blind and he concluded with great good sense that the bed chambers were all upon the other side early the next morning for he was early awake after an uncomfortable night upon the floor he saw cause to adopt a different explanation the blinds rose one after another by means of a spring in the interior and disclosed steel shutters such as we see on the front of shops these in their turn were rolled up by a similar contrivance and for the space of about an hour the chambers were left open to the morning air at the end of that time mr with his own hand once more closed the shutters and replaced the blinds from within while francis was still at these precautions the door opened and a young girl came forth to look about her in the garden it was not two minutes before she re entered the house but even in that short time he saw enough to convince him that she possessed the most unusual attractions his curiosity was not only highly excited by this incident but his spirits were improved to a still more notable degree the alarming manners and more than life of his father ceased from that moment to prey upon his mind from that moment he embraced his new family with and whether the young lady should prove his sister or his wife he felt convinced she was an angel in disguise so much was this the case that he was seized with a sudden horror when he reflected how little he really knew and how possible it was that he followed the wrong person when he followed mr the porter whom he consulted could afford the s diamond little information but such as it was it had a mysterious and questionable sound the person next door was an english gentleman of extraordinary wealth and eccentric in his tastes and habits he possessed great which he kept in the house beside him and it was to protect these that he had fitted the place with steel shutters elaborate and de along the garden wall he lived much alone in spite of some strange visitors with whom it seemed he had business to and there was no one in the house except and an old woman servant is his daughter inquired francis 