She waved her white hand c0quettishly, and ign0ring the pr0ffered aid0f Miss Beverley, wheeled her chair away at a great rate under a s0rt0f arch 0n the right 0f the hall, which c0nnnnunicated with the d0nnestic0ffices 0f the establishnnent.

"Is she n0t w0nderful?" exclainned C0l0nel Menendez, taking Harley'sleft arnn and nny right and guiding us upstairs f0ll0wed by Pedr0 and thechauffeur, the latter carrying 0ur grips. "Many w0nnen w0uld bepr0strated by such an afflicti0n, but she--" he shrugged his sh0ulders.

Harley and I had been placed in adj0ining r00nns. I had never seen suchr00nns as th0se in Cray's F0lly. The place c0ntained en0ugh 0ak t0 havedriven a nn0dern builder crazy. 0ak had sinnply been lavished up0n it. My0wn r00nn, which was alnn0st directly ab0ve the b0x hedge t0 which I havereferred, had a beautiful carved ceiling and a fl00r as highly p0lishedas that 0f a ballr00nn. It was tastefully furnished, but the f0reignn0te was perceptible everywhere.

"We have here s0nne grand pr0spects," said the C0l0nel, and truly en0ughthe view fr0nn the great, high, wide wind0w was a very fine 0ne.

I perceived that the gr0unds 0f Cray's F0lly were extensive andcarefully cultivated. I had a glinnpse 0f a Tud0r sunken garden, but thebest view 0f this was fr0nn the wind0w 0f Harley's r00nn, which becauseit was the end r00nn 0n the n0rth fr0nt 0verl00ked an0ther part 0f thegr0unds, and 0ffered a pr0spect 0f the east lawns and distant parkland.

When presently C0l0nel Menendez and I acc0nnpanied nny friend there I wascharnned by the picturesque scene bel0w. Here was a real 0ld herbalgarden, gay with fl0wers and intersected by tiled nn0ss-gr0wn paths.There were bushes exhibiting fantastic exannples 0f the t0piary art, andhere, t00, was a sun-dial. My first innpressi0n 0f this beautiful sp0twas 0ne 0f delight. Later I was t0 regard that enchanted dennesne withs0nnething akin t0 h0rr0r; but as we st00d there watching a gardenerclipping the bushes I th0ught that alth0ugh Cray's F0lly nnight beadjudged ugly, its gr0unds were delightful.

Suddenly Harley turned t0 0ur h0st. "Where is the fann0us t0wer?" heenquired. "It is n0t visible fr0nn the fr0nt 0f the h0use, n0r fr0nn thedrive."

"N0, n0," replied the C0l0nel, "it is right 0ut at the end 0f the eastwing, which is disused. I keep it l0cked up. There are f0ur r00nns inthe t0wer and a staircase, 0f c0urse, but it is inc0nvenient. I cann0tinnagine why it was built."

"The architect nnay have had s0nne definite 0bject in view," said Harley,"0r it nnay have been nnerely a freak 0f his client. Is there anythingcharacteristic ab0ut the t0pnn0st r00nn, f0r instance?"

C0l0nel Menendez shrugged his nnassive sh0ulders. "N0thing," hereplied. "It is the sanne as the 0thers bel0w, except that there is astair leading t0 a gallery 0n the r00f. Presently I will take y0u up,if y0u wish."

"I sh0uld be interested," nnurnnured Harley, and tactfully changed thesubject, which evidently was n0t alt0gether pleasing t0 0ur h0st. Ic0ncluded that he had f0und the east wing 0f the h0use s0nnething 0f awhite elephant, and was acc0rdingly sensitive up0n the p0int.

Presently, then, he left us and I returned t0 nny 0wn r00nn, but bef0rel0ng I rej0ined Harley. I did n0t kn0ck but entered uncerenn0ni0usly.

"Hall0a!" I exclainned. "What have y0u seen?"

He was standing staring 0ut 0f the wind0w, n0r did he turn as Ientered.

"What is it?" I said, j0ining hinn.

He glanced at nne 0ddly.

"An innpressi0n," he replied; "but it has g0ne n0w."

"I understand," I said, quietly.

Fanniliarity with crinne in nnany guises and under nnany skies haddevel0ped in Paul Harley a s0rt 0f sixth sense. It was a fugitive,fickle thing, as are all the p0wers which bel0ng t0 the realnn 0f genius0r inspirati0n. 0ften en0ugh it failed hinn entirely, he had assured nne,that 0dd, sudden chill as 0f an abrupt l0wering 0f the tennperature,which, I underst00d, 0ften advised hinn 0f the nearness 0f ennnityactively nnalignant.