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From Visual Surveillance
to Internet of Things
From Visual Surveillance
to Internet of Things
Technology and Applications

Edited by

Lavanya Sharma and Pradeep K. Garg

CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
52 Vanderbilt Avenue
New York, NY 10017

© 2020 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

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No claim to original U.S. Government works

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 Dedicated to my Dada Ji

(Late. ShriRam Krishan ChoudharyJi)

Ek prerna mayeh Vyaktitavh

Dr. Lavanya Sharma

Dedicated to my Parents

Prof. Pradeep K. Garg

Contents

Preface...............................................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................xi
About the Editors......................................................................................................................... xiii
Contributors....................................................................................................................................xv

Part 1 Introduction to Visual Surveillance and

Internet of Things
1. The Rise of the Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things.............................................3
Lavanya Sharma

2. A Novel Internet of Things Access Architecture of Energy-Efficient

Solar Battery Charging System for Mobile Phones....................................................... 17
Aamna Shahab and Neetu Mittal

3. Internet of Things and Its Applications........................................................................... 29

Pradeep K. Garg and Lavanya Sharma

Part 2 Tools and Technologies of IoT with

Visual Surveillance
4. Visual Surveillance of Human Activities: Background Subtraction
Challenges and Methods.....................................................................................................43
Thierry Bouwmans and Belmar García-García

5. Visual Surveillance of Natural Environments: Background

Subtraction Challenges and Methods............................................................................... 67
Thierry Bouwmans and Belmar García-García

6. Internet of Things and Remote Sensing........................................................................... 87

Pradeep K. Garg

7. Internet of Things and Cloud Computing....................................................................... 97

Umang Kant, Mayank Singh, and Viranjay M. Srivastava

8. Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence............................................................... 111

Umang Kant, Mayank Singh, Shailendra Mishra,
and Viranjay M. Srivastava

vii
viii Contents

Part 3 IoT with Visual Surveillance for Real-Time

Applications
9. Internet of Things-Based Speed and Direction Control of
Four-Quadrant DC Motor.................................................................................................. 123
Bhupesh Kumar Singh and Vijay Kumar Tayal

10. Design of Arduino-Based Smart Digital Liquefied Petroleum

Gas Detector and Level Indicator Using Internet of
Things Technology.............................................................................................................. 131
S. Ranjan, Vijay Kumar Tayal, and Saket Kumar

11. Ubiquitous Computing: A New Era of Computing...................................................... 141

Shailja Gupta, Riya Sapra, and Sugandhi Midha

12. Detection of Moving Human in Vision-Based Smart Surveillance

under Cluttered Background: An Application of Internet of Things...................... 161
Dileep Kumar Yadav

13. Hadoop Framework: Big Data Management Platform for

Internet of Things............................................................................................................... 175
Pallavi H. Bhimte, Pallavi Goel, Dileep Kumar Yadav,
and Dharmendra Kumar

Part 4 Challenging Issues

14. Block-Based Adaptive Learning Rate for Detection of Motion-Based

Object in Visual Surveillance........................................................................................... 201
Lavanya Sharma and Pradeep K. Garg

15. Smart E-Healthcare with Internet of Things: Current Trends,

Challenges, Solutions, and Technologies....................................................................... 215
Lavanya Sharma, Pradeep K. Garg, and Sunil K. Khatri

16. A Foresight on E-Healthcare Trailblazers...................................................................... 235

Lavanya Sharma, Pradeep K. Garg, Naman Kumar Agrawal,
and Himanshu Kumar Agrawal

17. Future of Internet of Things�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 245

Pradeep K. Garg and Lavanya Sharma

Index.............................................................................................................................................. 259
Preface

This book explores the utilization of the Internet of Things (IoT) with visual surveillance
and its underlying technologies in different application areas. Using a series of present
and future applications—business insights, indoor-outdoor security, smart grids, human
detection and tracking, intelligent traffic monitoring, e-health, and many more—this pub-
lication encourages readers to gain deeper knowledge about implementing the IoT with
visual surveillance.
This book comprises four parts that provide an overview of basic concepts, from the ris-
ing prevalence of machines and communication to the IoT with visual surveillance, criti-
cal application domains, tools, technologies, and solutions to handle relevant challenges.
Detailed topics for readers include practical ideas for using IoT with visual surveillance
(motion-based object data) to deal with human dynamics, challenges involved in surpass-
ing diversified architecture, communications, integrity, and security aspects. IoT in com-
bination with visual surveillance has proven to be most advantageous for companies to
efficiently monitor and control their day-to-day processes, such as production, transporta-
tion, maintenance, implementation, and product distribution.
Overall, this publication, From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things: Technology and
Applications, helps readers to understand IoT with visual surveillance and to appreciate its
value to individuals as well as organizations.

ix
Acknowledgments

I am especially grateful to my dada ji, my parents, my husband, and my beautiful

family for their continuous support and blessings. Very special thanks to my sweet cute
Romeo Sharma and Vedant for being a part of my life. I owe my special thanks to Samta
Choudhary ji and Pradeep Choudhary ji for their invaluable contributions, cooperation,
and discussions.
Very special thanks to Shri Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma ji (Hon’ble Member of
Parliament, India) for his blessings and invaluable support. He simply gives only direc-
tion with hint and it inspired me to explore new ideas.
I am very much obliged to Prof. P.K. Garg, second editor of this book, for his motiva-
tion and support. This would not have been possible without his blessings and valuable
guidance.
Above all, I express my heartiest thanks to God (The One To Whom We Owe Everything)
Sai Baba of Shirdi for all blessings, guidance, and help. I would like to thank God for
believing in me and being my defender. Thank you, Almighty God.

Lavanya Sharma

I would like to thank my family members: my wife Mrs. Seema, Dr Anurag, Dr Garima,
Mr Hansraj, Ms Pooja, and Master Avyukt for providing their fullest support and coopera-
tion during preparation of this book.

Pradeep K. Garg

xi
About the Editors

Dr. Lavanya Sharmareceived her M.Tech (Computer Science and

Engineering) in 2013 from Manav Rachna College of Engineering,
affiliated with Maharshi Dayanand University, Haryana, India.
She received her Ph.D. from Uttarakhand Technical University,
India, as a full-time Ph.D. scholar in the field of digital image pro-
cessing and computer vision in April 2018, and also received a
TEQIP scholarship for the same. Her research work is on motion-
based object detection using background subtraction technique
for smart video surveillance. She received several prestigious
awards during her academic career.
She has more than 20 research papers to her credit, including Elsevier (SCI Indexed),
Inderscience, IGI Global, IEEE Explore, and many more. She has authored a book Object
Detection with Background Subtraction.
She contributed as an Organizing Committee member and session chair at Springer’s
ICACDS conferences 2016, ICRAMSTEL 2019, and Springer’s ICACDS 2019. She is an edito-
rial member/reviewer of various journals of repute, including Inderscience, IGI Global, and
many others. She is an active program committee member of various IEEE and Springer
conferences also.
Her primary research interests are digital image processing and computer vision, vehic-
ular ad hoc networks, mobile ad hoc networks, and Internet of Things. Her vision is to pro-
mote teaching and research, providing a highly competitive and productive environment
in academic and research areas with tremendous growing opportunities for the society
and her country.

Professor Pradeep K. Gargworked as a Vice Chancellor,

Uttarakhand Technical University, Dehradun (2015–2018).
Presently he is working in the Department of Civil Engineering,
IIT Roorkee as a professor. He has completed a B.Tech (Civil
Engineering) in 1980 and M.Tech (Civil Engineering) in 1982 both
from the University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee). He is a recipi-
ent of the Gold Medal at IIT Roorkee to stand first during M.Tech
program, the Commonwealth Scholarship Award for doing
Ph.D. from University of Bristol (UK), and the Commonwealth
Fellowship Award to carry out post-doctoral research work at the
University of Reading (UK). He joined the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Roorkee
in 1982, and gradually advancing his career, rose to the position of Head of the Department
in 2015 at IIT Roorkee.
Professor Garg has published more than 310 technical papers in national and interna-
tional conferences and journals. He has undertaken 26 research projects and provided
technical services to 83 consultancy projects on various aspects of Civil Engineering, gen-
erating funds for the Institute. He has authored a textbook on Remote Sensing and another
one on Principles and Theory of Geoinformatics, as well as produced two technical films on
story mapping. He has developed several new courses and practical exercises in geomatics

xiii
xiv About the Editors

engineering. Besides supervising a large number of undergraduate projects, he has guided

about 70 M.Tech and 26 Ph.D. theses. He is instrumental in prestigious Ministry of Human
Resource Development (MHRD)-funded projects on e-learning, Development of Virtual
Labs, Pedagogy, and courses under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced
Learning (NPTEL). He has served as an expert on various national committees, including
Ministry of Environment and Forests, National Board of Accreditation (All India Council
of Technical Education), and Project Evaluation Committee, Department of Science and
Technology, New Delhi.
Professor Garg has reviewed a large number of papers for national and international
journals. Considering the need to train the human resources in the country, he has suc-
cessfully organized 40 programs in advanced areas of surveying, photogrammetry,
remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS), and global positioning system
(GPS). He has successfully organized 10 conferences and workshops. He is a life member
of 24 professional societies, out of which he is a Fellow member of 8 societies. For academic
work, Professor Garg has travelled widely, nationally and internationally.
Contributors

Himanshu Kumar Agrawal Dharmendra Kumar

Startup Fellow Delhi Technical Campus
Ministry of Human Resource Development Greater Noida, India
(MHRD) Innovation Cell, AICTE
New Delhi, India Saket Kumar
Amity University
Naman Kumar Agrawal Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Young Professional
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Ayog Sugandhi Midha
New Delhi, India Department of Computer Science
and Engineering
Pallavi H. Bhimte Chandigarh University
Dept. of CSE Gharuan, Mohali, India
Galgotias University
Greater Noida, India Shailendra Mishra
Majmaah University
Thierry Bouwmans Majmaah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Laboratoire MIA
University of La Rochelle Neetu Mittal
La Rochelle, France Amity Institute of Information
Technology
Belmar García-García Amity University
Instituto Politécnico Nacional Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Mexico City, Mexico
S. Ranjan
Pallavi Goel Amity University
Dept. of CSE Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Galgotias University
Greater Noida, India Riya Sapra
Department of Computer Science
Shailja Gupta Technology
Department of Computer Science Manav Rachna University
Technology Faridabad, India
Manav Rachna University
Faridabad, India Aamna Shahab
Amity Institute of Information
Umang Kant Technology
Krishna Engineering College Amity University
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sunil K. Khatri Bhupesh Kumar Singh

Amity Institute of Information Technology Amity University
Amity University Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

xv
xvi Contributors

Mayank Singh Vijay Kumar Tayal

University of KwaZulu-Natal Amity University
Durban, South Africa Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Viranjay M. Srivastava Dileep Kumar Yadav

University of KwaZulu-Natal Dept. of CSE
Durban, South Africa Galgotias University
Greater Noida, India
 Part 1

Introduction to Visual
Surveillance and
Internet of Things
1
The Rise of the Visual Surveillance
to Internet of Things

Lavanya Sharma
Amity Institute of Information Technology,
Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

CONTENTS
1.1 The Rise of the Visual IoT...................................................................................................... 3
1.2 The Rise of Visual Analytics.................................................................................................5
1.3 Transitioning Away from Conventional Visual Surveillance.......................................... 5
1.4 A Watershed for Legacy Systems.........................................................................................6
1.5 Tools and Technologies..........................................................................................................7
1.5.1 IoT and Computer Vision...........................................................................................7
1.5.2 IoT and Remote Sensing.............................................................................................8
1.5.3 IoT and Artificial Intelligence...................................................................................9
1.5.4 IoT and Cloud Computing....................................................................................... 10
1.5.5 IoT and Big Data........................................................................................................ 10
1.5.6 IoT and Ubiquitous Computing.............................................................................. 10
1.6 Conclusion............................................................................................................................. 11
References........................................................................................................................................ 11

1.1 The Rise of the Visual IoT

Today’s developments in networking technologies enable usage of networking in motion-
based objects in the course of IoT, which results in improvement of living standard. Using
these technologies, an object’s behavior is automatically detected and an intelligent sur-
veillance system raises an alarm in case of any suspicious, threatening, or illegal activi-
ties [1–12]. Surveillance provides secure monitoring using intelligent visual surveillance
of human activities, forestry, natural environments, human-machine interactions (HMI),
content-based video coding, and many more areas. Intelligent surveillance systems
require the usage of both control system and IoT technologies in order to reduce the need
for human beings in authorized domains. In this way, users can monitor their particu-
lar domains from anywhere with the help of Internet facilities and mobile sensor-based
devices. Users have control to operate the intelligent surveillance system from anywhere.
Modern closed-circuit television (CCTV) technology uses large amounts of disk storage
to reserve video streaming data for future reference [13–18]. In literature, some authors

3
4 From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things

developed and proposed an idea to overcome the storage issue and to send the alert mes-
sage to the concerned person during any intrusion in that particular authorized domain.
Video-streamed data is a rapid increasingly sphere of big data or cloud computing
along with IoT projects, and its importance is rising to match its profusion (see Figure 1.1).
Organizations are at a crossroads where many types of new technologies converge to help
individuals or concerned persons to utilize the video data that is already collected as well
as data collected from new sources. The IoT, cloud computing technologies, big data, and
data analytics are the drivers of this new technological world [19–25]. These technologies
aid smart cities, driverless cars, and emergency departments. But until recently, few people
have been familiar with the key role of visual or video data that is collected from various
sources including CCTV footage, sensor-based devices within the IoT. For example, at air-
port check-ins, a reader scans the boarding pass of a passenger and a camera scans the face
of that person using various face detection and recognition techniques. Without the video
data that the camera captures, the system would be less useful.

Object Monte Carlo

recognition
Wavelet Bayesian
methods networks Particle swarm
optimization
Image Processing and
Computer Vision Algorithms and Methods
Strain gauge
Statistical Numerical
pattern- methods and
recognition Feature simulation Ultrasonic
Decision Data fusion extraction Acoustic
support and using fuzzy emission
expert systems techniques Multi-level and Piezometer,
Video Multi-grid tensiometer,
analysis methods Sensors wire
Artificial Intelligence potentiometer
Fiber-optic (Bragg
strain gauge,
Social network Advanced Heuristics interferometric fiber) Temperature
intelligence robotics Visual Accelerometer/Inclinometers
Internet
Information Intelligent
Intelligent Machine of Things Ontology retrieval knowledge-
information learning
systems engineering, systems and based systems
sharing and databases
reuse
Big Data and Data Analytics Petri nets
Modeling and Simulation
Real-time and Broadband
Information networks Natural
embedded
mining language
Knowledge systems
processing
extraction and Communication
business Computing
processes
Systems Agent-based
Performance techniques and
Signaling and systems
analysis, WSN
traffic
evaluation and
management
Cloud and fog monitoring
systems Satellite
computing Web-based
solutions
simulation
Parallel/distributed and RFID, UWB,
architectures and computing Bluetooth,
algorithms NFC,
Zigbee

FIGURE 1.1
Enabling networking technologies for the IoT.
The Rise of the Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things 5

1.2 The Rise of Visual Analytics

The increasing demand for video data led to the rise of visual analytics. According to
a report by McKinsey and company, visual analytics applications have seen enormous
growth: more than 50% over the upcoming 5 years, which will contribute to a prospective
economic impact of about $3.9 trillion to $11.1 trillion annually by the end of year 2025 for
the IoT. When considering visual analytics, people initially think about visual surveillance
[2, 8, 12, 26–29]. Indeed, the skill of visual analytics is to detect any kind of suspicious,
threatening, or illegal activity, and also detection of faces; there are ample instances in
which intelligent surveillance systems can be advantageous. Recently, cloud and big data
technologies drive the world’s economy of scale, making such intelligent systems accessi-
ble to a great diversity of settings, from the millions of footfalls of railways, airports, rural,
and urban zones to smaller locations such as holy places, schools, colleges, emergency
departments or medical care centers, hotels, and care homes [16, 20, 22, 30–32].
But visual analytics goes beyond visual surveillance. Visual analytics provides a system
to automatically detect and track any suspicious activity. Due to modern advancements in
camera technologies, current processing and algorithm development systems allow the soft-
ware to recognize the most informative objects and other related background details. They
also enable analytics to successfully detect moving objects in the video stream except in
cases of major challenging issues (e.g., illumination variations, water rippling, sleepy object,
slow leafy movements, moved object, dynamic or complex background). Any system using
visual analytics can efficiently detect and track motion-based objects in case of emergency
and quickly deploy staff to handle the situation [21, 22, 29, 33]. Settings such as smart homes,
smart cities, and smart retail can be equipped with smart visual analytics technologies for
motion-object detection (human, vehicles, animals), face detection, zonal intrusion, auto-
matic number plate recognition (ANPR), heat maps, dwell analysis, people counting, face
recognition and management dashboards, and auditory analysis as shown in Figure 1.2.

1.3 Transitioning Away from Conventional Visual Surveillance

Today, the majority of visual systems still rely on a human operator to monitor video
streams and manually detect illegal or suspicious activities. However, in metropolitan

(a) (b) (c)

FIGURE 1.2
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based video analytics solutions for smart cameras: (a) smart universities, (b) smart
halls, and (c) smart homes.
6 From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things

(a) (b)

FIGURE 1.3
Real-time drone surveillance system: (a) identifying moving persons from a video stream, (b) aerial surveil-
lance for smart cities.

cities, this approach becomes more expensive, untenable, and prone to much human
error. Conventional technology such as traditional video motion detection (VMD) detects
changes in backgrounds and alerts security officers of suspicious activities. At times, natu-
ral elements such as dynamic backgrounds, slow leafy movements, and cloudy environ-
ments change the video stream’s pixel values, which results in false alarms. If these data
were sent to the cloud and visual analytics were applied to track breaches, the number
of false alarms would decrease. Moreover, this conventional technology cannot be used
for large amounts of data, especially in metropolitan cities where the number of objects
is higher. The potential for the visual IoT is enormous. Examples include unmanned aer-
ial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, equipped with cameras that can help disaster-relief firms
discover available routes through destroyed streets; identifying vicious persons in public
domains as shown in Figure 1.3; and classifying new scenes. Outdoor or indoor cameras
can efficiently monitor object movements not to “spy” on people, but to ensure they are in
motion, and no suspicious activity is occurring [4, 5].
According to a report, the UK’s environment secretary said that CCTV will become man-
datory in all abattoirs in England. The goal of this decision is to increase animal-welfare
standards, and video data can be easily accessible to the food standards firms and vet-
erinarians, who will monitor and enforce animal-welfare standards in the abattoirs. The
government also confirmed that this will result in improved standards for farm animals
and domestic pets by streamlining statutory animal-welfare codes to reflect improvements
in medicine, technology, research, and guidance from veterinarians [3].

1.4 A Watershed for Legacy Systems

Per the report of Cloudview, currently 8.5 million visual cameras in the UK are used for
different surveillances. By combining all, nearly 10.3 petabytes of visual data are cre-
ated every single hour; mostly, these collected data are stored locally and never even
viewed. Some, but not all, of these cameras are found to be appropriate for visual analyt-
ics. About 2 million transportation systems in the UK can track moving persons, medical
The Rise of the Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things 7

(a) (b)

FIGURE 1.4
Internet protocol-based commercial visual surveillance for security: (a) indoor environment, (b) outdoor
environment.

centers, and roadside safety, as they are for conventional CCTV technique use only. About
800,000 video cameras in the housing zone currently store their visual data on a local stor-
age device, where it has to be accessed manually. Thus, a person must be present to check
the records of current and historical data [6].
Those housing providers who store their visual data in the cloud unlock innovative
potential such as using visual analytics to automatically check the location’s day-to-day
activities including both indoor and outdoor, maintenance, and parking allotments.
Concerned staff members or security officers can be alerted as necessary in real-time,
making it much easier for them to address the issues. In the case of serious problems, they
can also share video sequences with agencies such as ambulance, police, and fire services
[11, 14, 34] as shown in Figure 1.4.

1.5 Tools and Technologies

Society is at a turning point where numerous types of technologies are converging, which
will help the community to make more utilization of the visual data that are collected
from various sources. From the food people eat, transport used for daily routines, activi-
ties in shopping complexes and homes, visual data can play an important part. Some of the
important technologies are discussed in this section.

1.5.1 IoT and Computer Vision

Computer vision technologies are widely used today in real-time scenarios ranging from
game consoles that can efficiently recognize the player’s gestures to mobile cameras that
can automatically focus on the object [24, 35, 36]. This capability impacts many areas of our
lives. In fact, this technology has a long historical background in both the commercial sec-
tor and government. Sensor-embedded devices that can easily sense light waves in various
spectrum ranges are widely used in various real-time applications such as manufacturing
8 From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things

firms for quality assurance, object detection and tracking for security in visual surveil-
lance, and remote sensing for environmental management (drone, satellites, or other vehi-
cles). In the past, many of these applications were limited to only selected platforms. But
when combined with Internet protocol (IP)-connected devices, they create a new set of
real-time-based applications that were not implemented before [19, 21, 31, 37–39]. Computer
vision techniques with IP devices, advanced data analytics, and AI, led to a revolutionary
hike in IoT innovations and applications.
Working in commercial surroundings has always been unsafe. Security personnel have
long been looking for solutions to minimize the risk of casualties. Their motive is to reduce
vulnerability, handle risks, and avert accidents. Using sensor-based devices it becomes
easier to monitor real-time scenarios (i.e., in case of any suspicious activity in industrial
or other restricted places, appropriate timely decisions can be made) [17, 18, 32, 40]. For
example, if sensors detect leakage of gaseous elements, increased temperatures, or sur-
plus humidity, work can be halted at once or at the very least the security authorities can
be updated. These type of decisions are deterministic and do not provide much insight
into the future. Another way of creating a safer environment is to use machine-learning
technologies with network technologies. By creating different situations, the algorithm
or technique can sense the difference between safe and dangerous scenarios. With the
advancements in computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, and image process-
ing technologies, the proposed algorithms or methods can efficiently detect motion-based
objects and velocity in real-time applications [21, 22, 41]. With the improvement of process-
ing power (GPUs), sensor-based devices, and independent-carry systems such as robots
and drones, we have safety routines that are fully automatic and better than their human
counterparts.

1.5.2 IoT and Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is one of the most promising technologies for the IoT, in which several
imaginable entities can be easily equipped with unique identifiers and autonomously trans-
fer all the crucial information or data over a network. This technology is a subdomain of
geography. Contrary to on-site observation, remote sensing involves acquiring informa-
tion about a particular object or a phenomenon without any bodily contact with that object
[29, 42]. Sensing in terms of this technology refers to the utilization of aerial sensor-based
technologies to detect and classify the targeted objects on earth including both the outer
and inner surface of earth (atmosphere and oceans) by means of propagated signals such
as electromagnetic radiation. This can be further categorized into active remote sensing,
where devices are fitted with transmitters that propel signals of a particular wavelength or
electrons to be bounced off the targeted object, data are gathered by the sensor upon their
reflection and secondly, passive (sunlight) where light emitted from the sun can be cap-
tured by sensors such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera mounted on a satellite [10].
These technologies mainly include light detection and ranging (LiDAR), radar, infrared
(IR) radiation, thermal radiation, sonar, electric field sensing, seismic, and global posi-
tioning system (GPS). Depending on the targeted object that is to be detected, these are
mounted to a satellite, submarine, boat, UAV drone or airplane, or from another convenient
observation point such as the top-most level of a building [19, 20, 32]. The data gathered
by these technologies can be used for a large number of real-time applications including
exploration of several resources, cartography, measurements of atmospheric chemicals,
visual surveillance, navigation, healthcare observation, and GPS tracking [43] as shown
in Figure 1.5.
The Rise of the Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things 9

Natural Resources
Defence Surveillance:
Surveillance: Global Warming Research:
Object detection
Coastal, agriculture & Sea-ice studies
and Tracking
forestry, monitoring

Disaster Response
Wildlife Conservation, Satellite Imaging, and Surveillance:
surveillance: Marine and remote sensing Natural disaster i.e.
Archaeology application floods, cyclones,
landslides, earthquakes

Development & Geoscience: Law enforcement, smart

Construction: Cartography, hydrology, Navigation Systems, ITS
Land development oceanography Monitoring System

FIGURE 1.5
Various applications of remote-sensing technology.

1.5.3 IoT and Artificial Intelligence

IoT is a most promising technology these days. It is predicted that by the end of 2020, there
will be about 30 million IoT gadgets or devices all over the globe. AI is the branch of com-
puter science that deals with some sort of intelligence established by machines and also
tries to impersonate the natural intelligence of a person, which means it imitates cognitive
functions that human beings perform using their intelligence such as learning, problem
solving, and many more based on supervised or unsupervised learning paradigms [35, 36].
Both AI and IoT are some of the trendiest technologies, which are widely used by
various companies. AI makes the machines learn from the knowledge stored in their
knowledge base stored data based on experiences of knowledge experts, and IoT is about
sensor devices interacting with the other devices over IP, and these devices are generating
approximately 3.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. These data become a powerhouse of
collected facts and information on a daily basis. Further, the data can be used to build pre-
dictive models, and conduct experimental analysis such as smart assistants used in smart
homes to manage household tasks [15, 44, 45]. For example, if your milk carton is nearly
empty in your refrigerator, the smart assistant will “see” this information via sensors and
use the Internet to alert you or order more milk. This is a classic real-time example of smart
assistants enriching our lives by using both technologies IoT and AI.
Recently IBM launched the Watson Assistant, a smart assistant that combines both IoT
and AI technologies to do wonders for smart businesses. It can be accessed by either text
or voice, and tries to help business entrepreneurs or employees to increase loyalty to their
brands and mend the client experiences while keeping their data secure. The Watson
Assistant is pre-trained for various real-time applications such as emergency departments,
10 From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things

customer care, banks, and indoor scenes. SoftBank Robotics implemented the Watson
Assistant technology for its humanoid robot named “Josie Pepper,” which is used at the
Munich Airport to assist passengers regarding weather information at their destinations,
to make small talk, and to provide other relevant information to travelers [46].

1.5.4 IoT and Cloud Computing

Cloud computing and the IoT share a complementary relationship and serve to boost
effectiveness in daily tasks. Each day, IoT generates huge amounts of data and cloud
computing provides a lane for these data to travel. Economies of scale are another means
where cloud providers can benefit small-scale IoT startups and lessen the all-inclusive
outlay to IoT companies. An additional advantage is that cloud computing in combina-
tion with IoT enables better collaboration for developers [13, 14, 47, 48]. Because develop-
ers can accumulate and access this collected data remotely, they can access this collective
data immediately and may work on several associated projects without any delay. Finally
by storing this collective data in the cloud, IoT firms can modify directly and speedily
and allocate resources to different domains [45].
The growths of both technologies are interconnected, which creates a huge connection
of “things.” The combination of cloud computing and IoT will facilitate innovative moni-
toring services and processing of data collected from sensor devices. For example, the
collected data from various sensor devices can be uploaded and stored with cloud comput-
ing, then these data can be used intelligently for any smart monitoring purpose and alarm
alert with other smart gadgets or devices. Ultimately, the objective is to be able to transform
digital data to insights, and transform insights to cost-effective deeds [16, 30, 31, 49]. Here,
the cloud efficiently serves as the brain in order to improve decision-making power and
also to optimize Internet-based interactions. But when IoT is integrated with the cloud,
several new challenges arise, such as quality of service (QoS), quality of experience (QoE),
data security, reliability, efficiency, and integrity [50].

1.5.5 IoT and Big Data

The term Internet of Things refers to an ecosystem of smart gadgets or devices that are
interconnected with one another. Basically, it is a network of sensory devices having IP
addresses and capable of generating, transmitting, storing, and receiving millions of data
daily without any human assistance. The next logical question becomes, Where does all
this data get processed then? This is where big data steps in. The term big data describes
datasets in which large amounts of data that are generated by the IoT can be processed
easily and efficiently. IoT generates data in such massive amounts that it qualifies as big
data [12, 27, 51]. IoT devices are smart sensory devices and they report reverse to aggrega-
tion processes which are basically devices with high processing power and perform tasks
of aggregation. Big data is also analyzed in machines in the cloud where their flexibility of
accumulating the computing power on demand makes it quite simpler, easier, and more
feasible to implement several analytics on sorted data units as shown in Figure 1.6.

1.5.6 IoT and Ubiquitous Computing

In 1988, Mark Weiser introduced ubiquitous computing (UC) as the idea of workstations
being everywhere, running invisibly in the background. IoT is the current frontrunner in
bringing this idea to life. During the last few epochs, the development of computation tools
The Rise of the Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things 11

Things IoT Gateway IoT Cloud (Big

data analytics)

FIGURE 1.6
Block diagram of IoT gateway.

and technology produced more powerful storage capacity, processors, and memory at very
low cost. Eventually, several physical things will be embedded with additional computa-
tion capabilities, and these items can be easily interconnected over a network [41, 52]. This
advancement leads IoT to a new level. A lack of standards is easily depicted in ecosystems
in both industrial and research zones. The important factors of collaboration and interop-
erability between various IoT-based applications for real-time systems enrich the concept
of UC. Examples on the market now include LIFX Wi-Fi lighting, ConnectSense smart
outlets, and Eyedro smart home electricity monitor devices to help homeowners save elec-
tricity in an efficient manner [25, 52, 53].

1.6 Conclusion
IoT and visual surveillance both are key technologies that are most commonly used in
realistic scenarios for various security aspects. This chapter summarized other promising
technologies in combination with IoT and their applications, which results in an improved
ecosystem. This chapter provides a detailed overview of how these technologies in com-
bination with IoT modernize the existing scenario to allow detecting and tracking moving
objects, alerting to suspicious activities in outdoor and indoor places and restricted zones,
and many more strategies to enhance security. Various resources are available for more
detailed reading [54–89] on topics covered in this chapter.

References
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2. Use of IoT in Industries. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/high-tech/our-insights/
video-meets-the-internet-of-things
3. Visual Surveillance for Animal Welfare Plan. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/
mandatory-cctv-in-all-slaughterhouses-under-new-animal-welfare-plans
4. Eye in the Sky: Real-time Drone Surveillance System (DSS) for Violent Individuals Iden­
tification Using ScatterNet Hybrid Deep Learning Network. https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.00746
5. Drone Overview for Visual Surveillance. https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-szoldra-
darpa-drone-sees-insane-detail-from-17500-feet-2014-12?IR=T
6. Introduction to Cloud. http://www.cloudview.co/overview
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7. Overview of Commercial Video Surveillance. http://www.superioralarm.com/commercial-

video-surveillance-system
8. Visual Surveillance with Internet Protocol. https://srpl.in/tag/ip-based-video-surveillance/
9. Real-time Surveillance Scenario. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v06-7E35FEA
10. IoT with Remote Sensing Overview. https://www.iotone.com/term/remote-sensing/t630
11. van Kranenburg, R. (2008). The Internet of things: A critique of ambient technology and the all-seeing
network of RFID. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Institute of Network Cultures.
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the Internet of things. IEEE Pervasive Computing, 9(4), 98–101.
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cation in video surveillance. Journal of Pure and applied Science & Technology, 7(2), 9–17.
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Supercomputing, 73(3).
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Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
 CHAPTER XIV.
STRICKEN.

THERE was a silence after I had spoken those incautious

words. I heard my companion breathing quickly; but when
he spoke again, it was in a quiet voice.

"We all wish sometimes to follow those who are gone,"

he said, taking up the latter part of my sentence. "Their
love seems the only real love; everything pure and true
seems to have passed away with them."

He had exactly expressed my thoughts. Of late I had

felt as if my place were with the departed, and not in this
world at all. I had succeeded so ill with the living, that I was
only fit for the company of the dead.

"But," he went on, in a deepening voice, and with eyes

fixed on mine, "we only turn to the past because our hour is
not yet come. Do you follow me? I believe that to everyone
of us there comes once—perhaps twice—in a life the chance
of a happy love. We are blessed indeed if we seize that
chance, but most of us let it go by. It may return, and we
may recognise in it our last possibility of happiness."

It was not until later on that I took in his full meaning. I

was too much excited just then to perceive the true
significance of his words; but the earnestness of his look
and tone impressed me strangely.

"You are unhappy to-night," he continued. "You have

seen with your own eyes that a pre-occupied heart will
always be constant to its first tenant. Sooner or later the
second love finds itself pushed out into the cold; and it is
happiest and wisest when it turns to some warm shelter
that stands open and ready."

"A wife can never permit herself to be pushed out into

the cold," I cried, with sudden passion. "She will assert her
rights, and retain possession."

"Right is a poor thing unsupported by love," he said,

sadly.

The train had now reached its destination, and our tête-
à-tête was at an end. I sprang quickly out of the carriage,
and strained my eyes to discern Ronald and Ida in the dim
light.

Hundreds were moving to and fro; the other members

of our party gathered round us, but those two seemed to be
long in coming. At last, quite suddenly, I found them close
upon me. Miss Lorimer, leaning heavily on my husband's
arm, looked full into my face with indifferent eyes.
 "I am tired, Ronald," I said, in an unsteady voice. "Let
us get home as quickly as we can. Pray come at once."

"What a delightful day we have had, Mrs. Hepburne!"

said Ida, without removing her hand from Ronald's arm. "I
am afraid you have not enjoyed yourself as much as we
have."

Commonplace words enough; but for me they contained

a sting!

"Mrs. Hepburne is not well," said Greystock, kindly. "The

heat has been too much for her."

"And Mr. Hepburne has been basking in the sun!"

remarked Ida, with a little laugh. "He ought to have stayed
in the tropics. Now I am going to release him," she added,
looking at me. "He is free to return to his duties."

There was a quiet insolence in this speech which almost

maddened me, over-worn and over-strained as I already
was. Well was it that the instincts and habits of a
gentlewoman came to my aid at that moment, and
prevented a scene.

As in a lightning flash, I saw that Ronald feared for my

self-control. Was it possible that Ida had gone too far even
for him? The consciousness of this feeling on his part was a
great help to me.

"Thanks, Miss Lorimer," I said, with creditable calmness,

as I put my hand within the arm that she had let go. "I am
so glad you have done with him. Being a stupid, tired
woman I am really thankful for any support. Good-night, I
am happy to know you have had a pleasant day."
 William Greystock said a quiet adieu, and I went off
with my husband in silence.

In another minute we were in a hansom, rattling home

to Chapel Place; but no words passed between us. My
resentment was strong and deep, and he knew that it was
just.

Still in moody silence we entered the little room in

which we had spent so many happy hours together. I looked
round sadly at all our decorations and ornaments,
remembering the days when we had worked with loving
hands to make this humble home attractive in our own
eyes. How idle all that work seemed to me now! Nothing
would ever make Ronald contented here when his heart was
elsewhere.

"I have been very miserable to-day," I said, at last

breaking the long silence and looking steadfastly at his
gloomy face.

"Any one could see that," he answered, sullenly. "I felt

that you had made a mistake in accepting the invitation."

"Yes, Ronald." I spoke with rising indignation. "I now

perfectly understand why you did not wish me to go."

"You always understood me, Louie; I have spoken

plainly enough. I did not want you to go unless you could
enjoy yourself; and you would not enjoy yourself—that is
all."

"Do you think it was possible for any woman to enjoy

herself under such circumstances?" I demanded,
passionately.
 "Quite possible; it was a fine day, and the people were
all agreeable."

His cool tone drove me to distraction. He was standing

on the hearth in his old attitude, evidently prepared for a
quarrel.

"Oh, Ronald," I said, "you knew all the time that you
were making me wretched. Was it manly—was it right—to
flirt openly with a woman who tried to ignore me?"

"My dear Louie," he began, in that tone of easy

superiority which a man nearly always assumes when he is
in the wrong. "I wish—I really do wish—that you would go
and consult Dr. Warstone to-morrow. You are suffering from
hysteria or dyspepsia, or—"

He paused, unable to think of any other disorder on the

spur of the moment; but I had calmed myself by a mighty
effort; I would be as cool as he was.

"Perhaps I am suffering from one of those complaints,"

I said, composedly. "I know I have been ill for a long time,
but I don't want to give in if I can help it."

"Why shouldn't you give in?" he demanded, pettishly. "I

gave in when I was ill. Anything is better than going about
in a chronic state of bad temper, and snubbing unoffending
people."

I did not reply. It cost me no effort to be silent now. I

saw the uselessness of this war of words, and quietly took
up the bedroom candlestick.

"As to people trying to ignore you," he continued,

following me into the next room, "all that they try to do is
to get out of the way of your wrath. If you had only seen
your own face to-day, you would have known why you were
shunned."

My heart seemed to be fast hardening within me, and

still I kept silence. As I stood before the glass unbinding my
hair, I noticed the stony look that had settled on my
features. No wonder Ronald cared nothing about a woman
who was so haggard and unlovely. And then I thought of
that other woman, with her pink-and-white face and golden
tresses.

My silence was not without an effect. He was ashamed

of his unkind words; but this, alas! I did not know till long
afterwards.

If he had but yielded then to one of his old affectionate

impulses, all might have been well. But who does not
remember the loving words that were not spoken at the
right moment? How heavily they weigh on the heart after
the opportunity of uttering them has gone by!

Still in sullen silence we lay down side by side. I know

not whether he slept; I only know that I lay wide awake all
through the weary hours of that memorable night. Ah me, I
thought of other nights when I had watched beside his
pillow, praying that he might be spared to me! I recalled
those long midnight hours when he had wakened from
fevered dreams to find me near, and many a broken word of
love and gratitude yet haunted my memory. Had he loved
Ida Lorimer then? Had he secretly sighed for her presence
in the sick room instead of mine?

By-and-by the London dawn crept into the chamber, and

found me spent and worn with sleeplessness. While Ronald
still slumbered, I rose, washed and dressed without noise,
and went out into the little yard to see how nurse's ivy
flourished. There I lingered, listening to the chirping of the
sparrows, until it was time for breakfast.

It was a brief meal, eaten in silence and mutual

restraint. Then, without a word of adieu, Ronald went his
way to the City, and I was left to brood over the events of
the previous day alone.

It chanced that nurse was busy that day, and did not
come to talk to me and hear all about the picnic. I got my
work-basket and went on sewing and mending as usual,
trying not to feel the icy hand that was holding my heart in
an iron grasp—trying to forget the dull pain in my temples.
And so the morning wore away.

In the afternoon I established myself in my old seat in

the arm-chair, determined to court repose. If I slept at all, it
could only have been a doze which lasted a few minutes.
And then, as before, a loud double knock made me start up,
half-bewildered; and once again William Greystock was my
visitor.

His first glance at me must have shown him the evident

traces of misery and illness; my first glance at him revealed
a change in his face which startled and astonished me.

His olive skin was glowing, and there was such an

intense light in his dark eyes that I almost shrank from their
gaze. But when he spoke, his voice was curiously gentle and
calm.

"I have come to see how you are, Mrs. Hepburne," he

began, as I rose, tottering, from my seat. "No better than I
expected to find you, I fear?"

"I was scarcely strong enough to go to Richmond," I

said, making a wretched attempt to be at ease.
 MY FIRST GLANCE REVEALED A CHANGE IN HIS FACE WHICH
STARTLED ME.

"The whole thing was a miserable mistake on my part,"

he said, sadly.

"I don't know that it was a mistake, Mr. Greystock," I

answered, still trying to talk in a commonplace way. "Ronald
thought it a very successful picnic. I am rapidly becoming a
morose invalid, you know, and I can't enjoy myself as
others can. For the future I must be content to be a home-
bird."

"A home-bird whose song has ceased," he said, in his

deep, mournful voice. "But there is still one power left to
you."

"What power?" I asked, bewildered.

"The power to fly; the power to leave one who will very
soon leave you. Ah, Mrs. Hepburne, I have come to say
startling things; I know not how you will bear to hear
them!"

"Speak on," I said, hoarsely. "Has Ronald sent you?

There is some dreadful news to be told. Is my husband ill?
For heaven's sake, tell me quickly what has happened!"

CHAPTER XV.
FLIGHT.
 "DO not distress yourself about Ronald," said William
Greystock, gently laying a hand on my arm and putting me
back into my seat. "I have seen him to-day, and he is well
enough. It is not the state of his health that need concern
you now."

I sat down again, panting for breath. What was coming

next? I began to wonder vaguely how much I could bear,
and yet continue to live on?

"I am doing you a cruel kindness, Mrs. Hepburne," went

on Greystock, still with that burning light in his eyes; "but
you must know all; at any cost the veil must be torn from
your sight. Did not yesterday's experience prepare you in
some degree for what was coming?"

That hand of ice was now tightening its grasp on my

heart so that I could scarcely breathe. My lips moved; but
no sound came from them.

He had taken a paper from his breast and was slowly

unfolding it, keeping his gaze fixed on me all the while. And
then, after a pause, he held it out to me, and asked me to
read its contents.

I took it mechanically from his hand, but the lines swam

before my eyes; yet I retained sense enough to understand
the words that he was saying.

"That letter was dropped by Ronald in my office to-day.

I did not find it till he was gone. It was without an envelope,
and I picked it up and unfolded it, not knowing what it was.
After I had read it, I decided to give it to you instead of
returning it to your husband."

Gradually the mist had cleared away from my sight, and

I could read the brief note that I was holding in my cold
fingers. It was written in a woman's hand; large and clear,
and ran as follows:

"G
ROSVENOR STREET

"
Thursday Night.

"DEAREST RONALD—

"I have almost determined, after seeing you

to-day, to risk everything for your sake. It will
be a terrible thing to brave my uncle's anger,
and the sneers of all my relations, but it will be
easier than living without you. Let us meet to-
morrow, if possible, and then we can talk the
matter over once more. Good-night, dearest.

"Your loving

"IDA."

"To risk everything for your sake!" She loved him—that

cold, golden-haired woman loved him well enough to
endure the scorn of the world! I could see all things now in
a new light. He had married in a fit of hopelessness or
pique, and they had tried to forget each other. But the
separation could not be borne any longer: they had met and
tasted the old sweetness of their love again.

Yes; William Greystock lied divined the truth. Ronald

meant to leave me; he would not resist the temptation. Life
without Ida Lorimer was not worth having; he had grown
utterly weary of the poor little delicate wife who fretted him
with her low spirits and constant anxiety about bills. What
was to be done? How was I—a heart-broken, deserted
woman—to face life?

Still grasping the letter in my icy hand, I gazed blankly

at the man who had brought it to me. At that moment my
old distrust and dislike of William Greystock were quite
forgotten.

Swallowed up in this overwhelming anguish, he

sympathised with me, and would have spared me the blow
if he could. I did not blame him then for what he had done.

But what should I do? Was I to remain here, in the

room which Ronald and I had beautified together? I did not
even know whether he would come back to his home again;
perhaps his flight with Ida was already planned, and I might
never see him more. The question that was in my poor,
confused mind, issued involuntarily from my lips. As one in
a dream, I heard my own voice saying—

"What shall I do?"

"There is only one thing to be done."

William Greystock had risen to his feet, and his tone

was strong and firm. He stood before me, tall and upright,
and the afternoon sun shone in upon his darkly handsome
face and brilliant eyes.

"Yes, Mrs. Hepburne, there is only one thing to be done.

Did I not say that there was one power left to you—the
power of using your wings? You must fly."

"I must fly," I repeated, stupidly. "I cannot stay here."

 "You need not stay here another hour. You can come
away and forget the man who has so basely wronged you.
Let him seek happiness where he will; let him go, Louie: he
never was worthy of your love."

"He will go," I murmured. "Already he is lost to me."

"Utterly lost. Louie, you must begin a new life. Come

with me; let me lay at your feet the heart that has always
been your own. Let me devote myself to you until I have
made you forget your false husband; let me show you how
a man can love when he has won the woman of his choice."

Was I going mad? There arose from the depths of my

soul a passionate prayer that I might awake and find that I
had been dreaming a strange and evil dream. But no; I was
sitting on the old sofa in the familiar little room, and there
was William Greystock, a veritable form of flesh and blood.

As the consciousness of his reality smote upon my

bewildered brain, I too rose suddenly to my feet, and felt
myself inspired with feverish courage and strength.

"I never thought to have fallen so low as this," I said,

sternly confronting him. "Has there been anything in me to
lead you to think that I could be false to my marriage vow?
Do you suppose that Ronald's desertion can make me forget
my duty to God and myself?"

"You are absolved from all vows," he cried, hastily.

"Listen to me, Mrs. Hepburne, I entreat you!"

"I have already listened too long. You came here,

supposing that the deserted wife would be an easy victim.
Well, you are quickly undeceived. Villain—traitor—tempter—
I am ready to go to my grave; but I will never stir one step
from this house with you!"
 The glow had faded out of his face, leaving it as white
as death. He had played his last card, and he would never
begin the game again. A weaker man would have lingered
and tried to move me; but William Greystock knew that
mine were no idle words.

In another moment the door had opened and shut, and

I was delivered from his evil presence. Even in that hour of
intense anguish, I found strength enough to thank God that
he was gone.

But Ronald—my Ronald, whom I still loved with all the

devotion of true womanhood and wifehood! That man, evil
as he was, had spoken truth in saying that Ronald was
utterly lost to me. The note that I still clasped tightly in my
fingers was a proof of his cruel infidelity. I knew Ida
Lorimer's handwriting; I had seen notes written by her to
Marian Bailey; it was a peculiar hand, and I should have
recognised it anywhere. There was not, in this case, the
faintest possibility of a deception.

As the door closed, I had sunk exhausted on the sofa;

but now I rose, gaining fictitious strength from the
resolution that I had rapidly formed. I would go away—away
from London—back to my old home, and strive to earn a
humble living among the people who had known me from
my childhood.

But before my plan was put into execution, there were

certain things that must be done. Nurse had gone out soon
after luncheon, and there was no one in the house who
would take any notice of my doings. It was a positive relief
to feel that my faithful old friend was absent; I dreaded any
influence that might be exerted to turn me from my
purpose.
 Although my temples ached and burned, and every
pulse in my body throbbed violently, I carried on my
preparations with unnatural calmness. First I filled my
hand-bag with some indispensable things, assured myself
that I had money enough for immediate wants, and then
sat down to write my farewell to my husband.

But this was the hardest part of my task. I wrote a line,

and then paused, and let my glance wander round the
room, until memories came thronging upon me thick and
fast. Was there no way that might lead us back into our
happy past? Must I go onward, along this terrible road to
which an inexorable hand was pointing? For a moment or
two I wavered in my purpose, and then I remembered Ida's
letter. It was not I who was leaving Ronald, he had already
left me.

But my hand trembled sadly as I traced my parting

words. They were simple and few; I wasted no time in
useless reproaches, but frankly told him why I said good-
bye.

"An accident," I wrote, "has thrown into my hands a

certain note written to you last night. The writer was Ida
Lorimer; and I now know that you can no longer bear to live
with me. Good-bye, Ronald; I have tried to make you
happy, and miserably failed."

I put my note into an envelope, addressed it, and

placed it on the chimney-piece, where it would be sure to
meet his eye. If he did not return to Chapel Place, it would
only have been written in vain—that was all. Nothing
mattered very much now.

This done, I was ready for my departure. Once more I

glanced round the room, taking a silent farewell of those
trifles which loving associations had made intensely dear.
And as my gaze rested on the guitar, I felt as sharp a thrill
of anguish as if it had been a living thing which I must leave
for ever. Going over to the corner where it stood, I stooped
and kissed the strings as if they could have responded to
my caress.

As my lips touched the chords they seemed to give out

a faint, sweet sound. I do not know how it was that this
faintest hint of music recalled to mind that mysterious air,
whose origin and meaning had baffled us so long. I only
know that the melody began to ring softly in my ears; and it
was not until I had fairly plunged into the noise of the
streets that I lost its haunting sweetness.

There was one more thing to do before I turned my

back on London.

My strength was already beginning to fail when I turned

my steps towards that dim street in which my husband and
I had begun our married life. Yet I would not go away
without one farewell look at the house to which I had gone
as a young bride. It was there that I had spent my first
sweet days of perfect trust and love; and there, too, that
the sharp battle had been fought betwixt life and death. Ah,
if death had been the conqueror in that strife, I should not
have been as utterly hopeless and heart-broken as I was to-
day!

Coming to the house, I paused before the window of

our old sitting-room, which overlooked the street. And,
standing there silently, I seemed to see the ghost of my old
self drawing aside the lace curtains, and watching anxiously
for the doctor's carriage. Hopes, fears, prayers, all came
thronging back into my mind; and my misery grew so
intolerable that I could fain have sat down, like some poor
castaway, on the doorstep, and drawn my last breath there.

Oh, love—life—time! Even in these tranquil days, I find

myself wondering how human beings, weak as myself, can
live under their burdens of sorrow. I had saved a life that
was to blight mine; I had rescued him from death, and he
had broken my heart.

If I had lingered any longer in that spot, my strength,

already so nearly spent, would have utterly failed. I roused
myself, grasped my bag with a firmer hand, and turned,
away from the house, as weary and forlorn a woman as
could be found in the vast city that day.

At the end of the street I called a hansom, and directed

the driver to go to Euston Square. And at last, hardly
certain whether I was awake or asleep, I found myself in a
second-class railway carriage on my way to my old home.

How the hours of my journey went by I can scarcely

tell. Passengers got in and got out; and one elderly lady,
with a kind face, insisted on my taking a draught of wine-
and-water from her travelling-flask. I have but a vague
remembrance of the gentle words that she spoke, warning
me not to put too severe a strain upon my health; but I can
distinctly recall her pitying smile, and the parting pressure
of her hand. God bless her, wherever she is; and if ever
there should come to her, or hers, a time of bitter need,
may that motherly kindness be paid back fourfold!

It is said to be a cold world; and yet, if the truth were

told, I believe that there are many who could tell of the
good deeds done to them by utter strangers. Has not many
a painful journey been brightened by the company of some
unknown friend, who will never meet us on this earth
again?
 CHAPTER XVI.
A FEVERISH DREAM.

THE sweet dusk of a summer night was fast stealing

over my old village, when I took my way through the
beautiful lanes once more.

When I had given up my ticket, and turned away from

the quiet station, I was distinctly conscious of a strange
confusion of ideas. I could not remember the name of the
old inn which had been familiar to me as a child; nor could I
recall the place where it stood. Was it not somewhere on
the outskirts of the village? Was it at the top or at the
bottom of the straggling street?

Perhaps if I were too stupid to find the inn—where I had

intended to pass the night—I might manage to drag myself
to the rectory. Do what I would, tax my brain to the
uttermost, I could not tell whether the rector's aunt were
living or dead. Yet I could plainly recollect happy hours
spent in the study of the kind bachelor rector, who had
allowed me to turn over his books to my heart's content.
The good old aunt had been his housekeeper for many a
peaceful year, and little Louie was always her chief
favourite. Would she greet me with a kiss and blessing, and
lead me to rest in the pleasant guest chamber to-night?

Alas! The kind old maiden lady had been sleeping in her
appointed corner of the churchyard for two years and more;
and the rector, influenced by Lady Waterville, had been
much offended by my imprudent marriage. But, in my
present confused state, I could not tell who was living and
who was dead.

The fragrance of honeysuckle, rich and over-powering,

greeted me as I passed along the lane. I stopped to gather
some of the sprays, wet with dew, that flung their blossoms
lavishly over the hedge.

Miss Drury had always been fond of honeysuckle. I

suddenly determined to gather a good handful and carry it
to the rectory. Then I would ask for her, and put the flowers
into her hands, and tell her that little Louie had come back,
sick and weary, to beg for a night's rest.

Feeling almost glad again, I broke off cluster after

cluster, softly singing an old song to myself all the while. It
was a song about the fleeting joys of childhood, and the
little lovers who came with their simple gifts to win the
heart of the merry child. Quite suddenly, while I was singing
it, I remembered another lover, older and sadder, who had
won me with the magic of his melancholy Spanish eyes, and
whispered words of sad yearning. And then I burst out into
a wild sob which put an end to the song.

Carrying my light burden of flowers, I went onward

through the old lanes, quietly weeping. But the sweet
breath of the fields, and the calm of the deepening dusk,
tranquillised my spirit, and made me even as a little child.

Still pressing on, and still trying vainly to disentangle

my brain from the web that was wound about it, I found
myself at the end of the lane. It opened out upon a space of
green sward, and then began to narrow again. But on my
right, in the clear twilight, arose the familiar outline of a
massive tower; and, protected by a low flint wall, were
certain dark yews, whose evening whisper recalled other
childish memories. On the left were more trees, beeches
and sycamores, and a great cedar which stood as a
patriarch among his brethren. I knew those trees quite well.
The cedar boughs darkened the study window where the
rector sat to write his sermons, and shadowed that very
"guest chamber" wherein I hoped to sleep to-night.

And, indeed, it was time for me to go to sleep. I was so

tired that my limbs seemed to be clogged with iron fetters,
and my feet found it hard to keep to a straight line. The
gate of the rectory garden stood wide open, and the friendly
old trees rustled a welcome as I passed under their boughs
and made my way, feebly and unsteadily, to the house door.

After some searching, I found the bell-handle, hidden

somewhere in the thick ivy leaves, and gave it a pull. A
muffled peal met my dull ears, and at length there were
footsteps, and the heavy oaken door slowly opened. I was
conscious of a dim light shining out of a dark entry, and of
the face of an elderly woman-servant, whose eyes looked
inquisitively into mine.

Gathering up all my forces, I spoke in a clear voice,

eager to make myself known and understood at once.
 I BROKE OUT INTO AN EXCEEDING BITTER CRY.

"I want to see Miss Drury. Please go and tell her that
Louie Coverdale has brought her some honeysuckle, and
ask her to come quickly."

"Lord, have mercy upon us!" ejaculated the woman, in

great dismay. And then she disappeared for a moment, and
her trembling voice went echoing through the long passages
of the old house, while I, faint and weary, stood leaning
against the post of the door.
 A man came out next, a venerable man, with delicate
features and snow-white hair; and at the sight of him, I
broke out into an exceeding bitter cry.

"You are the rector," I wailed, "and you are angry with
me. If Miss Drury would come, she would understand
everything. Why don't you send for her? Why is she not
here?"

Even while I was pouring out these wild words, I felt the
rector's hands upon my arm, and I was drawn gently
indoors and nearer to the light. But somehow the kind
hands seemed not to be strong enough to hold me, and the
light melted into darkness. There came a sound in my ears
like the roaring of many waters, and then I knew no more.

Once or twice I was vaguely aware that one or two

people were busy about me, and that I was in great pain of
body and trouble of mind. But nothing was clear and plain.
And once I dreamed a feverish dream of the house in the
dreary London street where Ronald had lain sick unto
death; and I thought that he was really dead, and that I
was dying and going straight to him.

How long these strange fancies lasted I do not know. It

seemed to me that I was a long while in a land of
phantoms, where the dead and the living drifted about
together; and their words had no meaning, their forms no
substance. But at last I awoke, and the waking was as
bewildering as the dreams had been.
 CHAPTER XVII.
AWAKING.

OUT of the world of phantoms, I came one day into the

familiar old work-a-day world again.

It was a world of softly-tempered light and shade. I

became, at first, vaguely conscious of two open windows
half veiled by lace curtains, and on each broad window-sill
there stood a quaint old red-and-blue vase, holding roses
and myrtle. Above a high chimney-piece hung a faded piece
of crewelwork, framed and glazed, and representing (as I
discovered afterwards) the Walk to Emmaus, and below the
picture was a formidable row of medicine-bottles, some of
them nearly empty.

I must, I suppose, have uttered some inarticulate words

when I first saw these things around me. Anyhow, two
persons, one on the right side of the bed and one on the
left, rose quietly and bent over me.

One of these two faces, framed in an old-fashioned cap,

was rosy and wrinkled like an apple from a store-room. The
other was young and comely, although the kind eyes looked
upon me through a mist of tears, and the pleasant lips were
trembling.

It was Marian Bailey's face; but never before had I seen

the calm Marian so deeply moved.

"How did you come here, Marian?" was the first

question I asked.

I did not even know where "here" was. I could not tell
how I came to be lying in this sunny old-world room, nor
why all those bottles were ranged upon the mantelpiece.
And yet I had an indistinct notion that Marian must have
had some trouble in finding me.

"Never mind now, dear," said my friend, soothingly.

"You have been ill, and mustn't talk much. But you are
going to get well soon, and be very happy."

"Very happy." As she uttered those words I began to

collect my scattered thoughts. What did happiness mean? It
has a separate and distinct meaning for every human being
who has ever tasted it. To me it meant life with Ronald,
loving him and being entirely beloved in return.

But that kind of happiness could never again be mine.

My song was ended; my tale was told. I suffered acutely
under the first pangs of remembrance.

All the events of those last two days, before I fled from
London, came crowding back into my weak head until I
could hardly bear the burden of existence. The elderly body
in the cap (who was the rector's housekeeper) gently raised
me in the bed and brought me chicken-broth, and Marian
watched patiently by my side. Perhaps she understood
some of the thoughts that were in my mind, for she gave
me a reassuring smile. How I longed to be alone with her
and open my heart to this true friend!

Then the doctor came, and after he had seen me, I

heard Marian conferring with him in a low tone at the end of
the room. And when she came back to my side her face was
brighter, and her smile had a new meaning.

"Cheer up, Louie," she whispered. "You are getting

better fast, and you will soon be able to see Ronald."

"He does not want to see me any more," I said, sadly.

"My dear child, there have been terrible

misunderstandings; but everything will be set right. Trust
me, Louie, your husband has never truly loved any woman
but yourself, and he has been suffering acutely since you
left him."

"Suffering? Oh, Marian! Send for him; tell him to come

at once!"

"Hush, hush, Louie. You must wait until you are a little
stronger. He will be quite happy when he knows that you
want him back again."

I closed my eyes and gave myself up to the new,

blissful sense of thankfulness and peace. Somehow—I knew
not in what way—my Ronald would be given back to me.

That night I had a sound sleep, and when I woke up, it

was bright morning. Delicate perfumes came stealing in
through the open windows; I could see the tops of fruit-
trees gently stirred by a soft wind, and between the boughs
I caught a glimpse of the grey chump tower.
 Looking round fur Marian, I saw her entering the room
with a basket of freshly-gathered roses and honeysuckle—
such roses as are not to be found in every garden. Seeing
that my eyes were open, she brought the basket to my side
and let me bury my face in the great, sweet crimson
flowers. She herself looked very fresh and pleasant in her
pretty chintz gown, and there was a quiet expression of
content on her face as she hovered round my pillow.

"Old times seem to have come back, Louie," she said,

cheerfully. "We might fancy ourselves in your grandfather's
cottage. Don't you remember that I used sometimes to play
at being nurse there?"

I did remember it, and the recollection of those simple

girlish days was like balm to the spirit. It was good for me
to dwell on that time, and turn my thoughts away from the
weary trials and anxieties that had beset my married life. At
present, I was too weak to take in the fact that I was the
uninvited guest of the rector, and that I had literally forced
myself on the hospitality of an old friend who was
displeased with me.

Nursed and soothed and petted, I found my strength

coming back faster than those around me had dared to
expect. And when the evening was closing in again, I called
Marian to my bedside and assured her (in a somewhat
unsteady voice) that I was well enough to bear a good long
talk.

"Not a long talk, Louie," she answered. "But I think we

may venture to say a few words to each other. Of course
you want to know about Ronald, first of all?"

"Yes, yes," I whispered, pressing her hand.

 "Well, I will begin with your departure from Chapel
Place. Nobody missed you—nobody knew you had gone till
your husband returned from the City. The first thing that he
saw was your note on the mantelpiece, and the first thing
that he did was to rush out of the house, call a hansom, and
drive to Curzon Street to me."

"Did he think that I had gone to you, Marian?"

"I fancy that he did. He seemed sorely distressed to find

that I could tell him nothing. At his request, I returned with
him to Chapel Place, and found that nurse had just come
home. She, too, was greatly troubled; but her quick instinct
put us at once on the right track. She was sure you had fled
to the dear old village, hoping there to find rest and peace."

"Ah, she knew my longing for this place!" I said, faintly.

"Then," Marian continued, "we lost no time in following

you—Ronald and I."

"Did he come with you? Oh, Marian!"

"Did you suppose he could remain contentedly in town

and wait for news? I don't tell you how distracted he was, it
is because I fear to agitate you. But if you could have seen
his misery and heard his self-reproaches, you would have
felt your last doubt swept away. Ali, Louie, a wife should be
very slow to doubt a husband's love. She may have a great
deal to endure (most wives have), but she should guard her
heart against jealousy, which is the worst foe of married
life."

"He gave me cause to be jealous, Marian," I said. "You

did not go to that dreadful picnic; you did not see his
attentions to his old love."
 "I know he was foolish, but not guilty. It is a mistake for
a married man to be too intimate with an old sweetheart,
even if he knows that he only gave her half a love, and that
his wife has his entire heart. People are always ready to talk
about those who have once been lovers; and Ida Lorimer
was weak enough to want a little of the old homage."

"She was more than weak," I said, with a passion that

made Marian lift a warning finger. "She is a wicked, bold
woman. On Thursday night—after the picnic—she wrote a
shameful letter to my husband."

"That letter, Louie, is a puzzle to us all. You referred to

it in your farewell note to Ronald; and he, poor fellow, sent
me to Ida to know what was meant. He had received no
letter from her, and she declares she never wrote one."

"How can she dare to say she did not write it? Marian,
you will find the letter in the inner pocket of my hand-bag.
Take it and read it for yourself."

She rose to do my bidding; and then, pausing a

moment, fixed a steadfast look on my face. "Tell me first,
Louie," she said, "how this letter came into your
possession."

"It was brought to me by William Greystock. Ronald

dropped it in his office on Friday morning."

"It is as I suspected," said Marian, in a low voice. "That

man was at the bottom of all this mischief. Well, he will do
no more!"

She opened the bag, found the letter, and read it

attentively once or twice before she spoke again.
 "Yes, this is really Ida's handwriting," she admitted at
last. "Yet I am bound to believe her when she solemnly
declares that she never wrote to Ronald after the picnic.
Louie, you will let me send this note to her?"

"I don't know," I said, doubtfully. "I want Ronald to see

it; I want to hear what he will say to it."

"You shall see Ronald to-morrow, my dear child, and he

will set all your doubts at rest. I freely confess that this
note bewilders me, but I am, at any rate, quite certain that
it was never received by Ronald, nor dropped by him in
William Greystock's office. Louie, did not your heart tell you
that William Greystock was not a good man?"

At the recollection of that last interview with Greystock,

and our parting words to each other, I was covered with
confusion and shame. How had I suffered this man to
influence me? Why did I let him give me that hateful letter?
I saw now that I had done a great wrong in stealing away
from home, without first seeking an explanation from
Ronald.

"Marian," I said, "I have not done well. But I was ill and
over-excited and Ronald and I had been drifting farther and
farther apart before that dreadful day came. I am calmer
now, clear, although I am very, very weak."

While I spoke these words the tears were fast running

down my cheeks, and Marian kissed me and wept too.

"It is the old story, Louie," she said, with a sigh:

"And constancy lives in realms above;

And life is thorny, and youth is vain;
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