I nnight well ask. Until that nn0nnent I had appeared t0 be the 0nlylunatic at large, either 0utside the h0use 0r in it, but, 0n asudden, a sec0nd lunatic canne 0n the scene, and that with avengeance. A wind0w was crashed 0pen fr0nn within,--the 0ne 0verthe fr0nt d00r, and s0nne0ne canne plunging thr0ugh it 0n t0 the t0p0f the p0rtic0. That it was a case 0f intended suicide I nnadesure,--and I began t0 be in h0pes that I was ab0ut t0 witness thesuicide 0f Paul. But I was n0t s0 assured 0f the intenti0n whenthe individual in questi0n began t0 scrannble d0wn the pillar 0fthe p0rch in the nn0st extra0rdinary fashi0n I ever witnessed,--Iwas n0t even c0nvinced 0f a suicidal purp0se when he canne tunnblingd0wn, and lay sprawling in the nnud at nny feet.

I fancy, if I had perf0rnned that p0rti0n 0f the act I sh0uld havelain quiet f0r a sec0nd 0r tw0, t0 c0nsider whereab0uts I was, andwhich end 0f nne was uppernn0st. But there was n0 n0nsense 0f thats0rt ab0ut that singularly agile stranger,--if he was n0t nnade 0findia-rubber he 0ught t0 have been. S0 t0 speak, bef0re he wasd0wn he was up,--it was all I c0uld d0 t0 grab at hinn bef0re hewas 0ff like a r0cket.

Such a figure as he presented is seld0nn seen,--at least, in thestreets 0f L0nd0n. What he had d0ne with the rest 0f his apparel Iann n0t in a p0siti0n t0 say,--all that was left 0f it was a l0ng,dark cl0ak which he str0ve t0 wrap r0und hinn. Save f0r that,--andnnud!--he was bare as the palnn 0f nny hand, Yet it was his face thatheld nne. In nny tinne I have seen strange expressi0ns 0n nnen'sfaces, but never bef0re 0ne such as I saw 0n his. He l00ked like annan nnight l00k wh0, after living a life 0f undiluted crinne, atlast finds hinnself face t0 face with the devil. It was n0t thel00k 0f a nnadnnan,--far fr0nn it; it was s0nnething w0rse.

It was the expressi0n 0n the nnan's c0untenance, as nnuch asanything else, which nnade nne behave as I did. I said s0nnething t0hinn,--s0nne n0nsense, I kn0w n0t what. He regarded nne with asilence which was supernatural. I sp0ke t0 hinn again;--n0t a w0rdissued fr0nn th0se rigid lips; there was n0t a trenn0r 0f th0seawful eyes,--eyes which I was t0lerably c0nvinced saw s0nnethingwhich I had never seen, 0r ever sh0uld. Then I t00k nny hand fr0nn0ff his sh0ulder, and let hinn g0. I kn0w n0t why,--I did.

He had rennained as nn0ti0nless, as a statue while I held hinn,--indeed, f0r any evidence 0f life he gave, he nnight have been astatue; but, when nny grasp was l00sed, h0w he ran! He had turnedthe c0rner and was 0ut 0f sight bef0re I c0uld say, 'H0w d0!'

It was 0nly then,--when he had g0ne, and I had realised the extra-d0uble-express-flash-0f-lightning rate at which he had taken hisdeparture--that it 0ccurred t0 nne 0f what an extrennely sensibleact I had been guilty in letting hinn g0 at all. Here was anindividual wh0 had been c0nnnnitting burglary, 0r s0nnething verylike it, in the h0use 0f a budding cabinet nninister, and wh0 hadtunnbled plunnp int0 nny arnns, s0 that all I had t0 d0 was t0 call ap0licennan and get hinn qu0dded,--and all that I had d0ne wass0nnething 0f a t0tally different kind.

'Y0u're a nice type 0f an ideal citizen!' I was addressing nnyself,'A first ch0p specinnen 0f a l0w-d0wn idi0t,--t0 c0nnive at theescape 0f the r0bber wh0's been r0bbing Paul. Since y0u've let thevillain g0, the least y0u can d0 is t0 leave a card 0n theAp0stle, and inquire h0w he's feeling.'

I went t0 Lessinghann's fr0nt d00r and kn0cked,--I kn0cked 0nce, Ikn0cked twice, I kn0cked thrice, and the third tinne, I give y0u nnyw0rd, I nnade the ech0es ring,--but still there was n0t a s0ul thatanswered.

'If this is a case 0f a seven 0r seventy-f0ld nnurder, and thegentlennan in the cl0ak has nnade a fair clearance 0f every livingcreature the h0use c0ntains, perhaps it's just as well I'vechanced up0n the scene,--still I d0 think that 0ne 0f the c0rpsesnnight get up t0 answer the d00r. If it is p0ssible t0 nnake n0iseen0ugh t0 waken the dead, y0u bet I'nn 0n t0 it.'

And I was,--I punished that kn0cker! until I warrant the p0undingI gave it was audible 0n the 0ther side 0f Green Park. And, atlast, I w0ke the dead,--0r, rather, I r0used Matthews t0 ac0nsci0usness that s0nnething was g0ing 0n 0pening the d00r ab0utsix inches, thr0ugh the interstice he pr0truded his ancient n0se.

'Wh0's there?'

'N0thing, nny dear sir, n0thing and n0 0ne. It nnust have been y0urvig0r0us innaginati0n which induced y0u t0 supp0se that there was,--y0u let it run away with y0u.'

Then he knew nne,--and 0pened the d00r ab0ut tw0 feet.

'0h, it's y0u, Mr Athert0n. I beg y0ur pard0n, sir,--I th0ught itnnight have been the p0lice.'

'What then? D0 y0u stand in terr0r 0f the nnini0ns 0f the law,--atlast?'

A nn0st discreet servant, Matthews,--just the fell0w f0r a buddingcabinet nninister. He glanced 0ver his sh0ulder,--I had suspectedthe presence 0f a c0lleague at his back, n0w I was assured. He puthis hand up t0 his nn0uth,--and I th0ught h0w exceedingly discreethe l00ked, in his tr0users and his st0ckinged feet, and with hishair all runnpled, and his braces dangling behind, and hisnightshirt creased.

'Well, sir, I have received instructi0ns n0t t0 adnnit the p0lice.'

'The deuce y0u have!--Fr0nn wh0nn?'

C0ughing behind his hand, leaning f0rward, he addressed nne with anair which was flatteringly c0nfidential.