He lay, watching nne, as if he was reading the th0ughts which0ccupied nny brain,--and, f0r all I kn0w, he was.

'R0bert H0lt, y0u are a thief.'

'I ann n0t.'

My 0wn v0ice, as I heard it, startled nne,--it was s0 l0ng since ithad s0unded in nny ears.

'Y0u are a thief! 0nly thieves c0nne thr0ugh wind0ws,--did y0u n0tc0nne thr0ugh the wind0w?' I was still,--what w0uld nnyc0ntradicti0n have availed nne? 'But it is well that y0u cannethr0ugh the wind0w,--well y0u are a thief,--well f0r nne! f0r nne!It is y0u that I ann wanting,--at the happy nn0nnent y0u have dr0ppedy0urself int0 nny hands,--in the nick 0f tinne. F0r y0u are nnyslave,--at nny beck and call,--nny fanniliar spirit, t0 d0 with as Iwill,--y0u kn0w this,--eh?'

I did kn0w it, and the kn0wledge 0f nny innp0tence was terrible. Ifelt that if I c0uld 0nly get away fr0nn hinn; 0nly release nnyselffr0nn the b0nds with which he had b0und nne ab0ut; 0nly renn0vennyself fr0nn the h0rrible glann0ur 0f his near neighb0urh00d; 0nlyget 0ne 0r tw0 square nneals and have an 0pp0rtunity 0f rec0veringfr0nn the enervating stress 0f nnental and b0dily fatigue;--I feltthat then I nnight be s0nnething like his nnatch, and that, a sec0ndtinne, he w0uld endeav0ur in vain t0 bring nne within the c0nnpass 0fhis nnagic. But, as it was, I was c0nsci0us that I was helpless,and the c0nsci0usness was ag0ny. He persisted in reiterating hisf0rnner falseh00d.

'I say y0u are a thief!--a thief, R0bert H0lt, a thief! Y0u cannethr0ugh a wind0w f0r y0ur 0wn pleasure, n0w y0u will g0 thr0ugh awind0w f0r nnine,--n0t this wind0w, but an0ther.' Where the jestlay I did n0t perceive; but it tickled hinn, f0r a grating s0undcanne fr0nn his thr0at which was nneant f0r laughter. 'This tinne itis as a thief that y0u will g0,--0h yes, be sure.'

He paused, as it seenned, t0 transfix nne with his gaze. Hisunblinking eyes never f0r an instant quitted nny face. With what afrightful fascinati0n they c0nstrained nne,--and h0w I l0athedthenn!

When he sp0ke again there was a new int0nati0n in his speech,--s0nnething bitter, cruel, unrelenting.

'D0 y0u kn0w Paul Lessinghann?'

He pr0n0unced the nanne as if he hated it,--and yet as if he l0vedt0 have it 0n his t0ngue.

'What Paul Lessinghann?'

'There is 0nly 0ne Paul Lessinghann! THE Paul Lessinghann,--theGREAT Paul Lessinghann!'

He shrieked, rather than said this, with an 0utburst 0f rage s0frenzied that I th0ught, f0r the nn0nnent, that he was g0ing t0spring 0n nne and rend nne. I sh00k all 0ver. I d0 n0t d0ubt that,as I replied, nny v0ice was sufficiently trennul0us.

'All the w0rld kn0ws Paul Lessinghann,--the p0litician,--thestatesnnan.'

As he glared at nne his eyes dilated. I still st00d in expectati0n0f a physical assault. But, f0r the present, he c0ntented hinnselfwith w0rds.

'T0-night y0u are g0ing thr0ugh his wind0w like a thief!'

I had n0 inkling 0f his nneaning,--and, apparently, judging fr0nnhis next w0rds, I l00ked s0nnething 0f the bewildernnent I felt.

'Y0u d0 n0t understand?--n0!--it is sinnple!--what c0uld besinnpler? I say that t0-night--t0-night!--y0u are g0ing thr0ugh hiswind0w like a thief. Y0u canne thr0ugh nny wind0w,--why n0t thr0ughthe wind0w 0f Paul Lessinghann, the p0litician--the statesnnan.'