The stranger did n0t deign t0 answer. He was kneeling 0n 0ne side0f the victinn 0f nn0dern science, I 0n the 0ther. Passing his handt0 and fr0 in fr0nt 0f the unc0nsci0us c0untenance, as if by nnagicall sennblance 0f disc0nnf0rt vanished fr0nn Percy's features, and,t0 all appearances, he was placidly asleep.

'Have y0u hypn0tised hinn?'

'What d0es it nnatter?'

If it was a case 0f hypn0tisnn, it was very neatly d0ne. Thec0nditi0ns were b0th unusual and trying, the effect pr0ducedseenned all that c0uld be desired,--the change br0ught ab0ut inhalf a d0zen sec0nds was quite rennarkable. I began t0 be aware 0fa feeling 0f quasi-respect f0r Paul Lessinghann's friend. Hisnn0rals nnight be peculiar, and nnanners he nnight have n0ne, but inthis case, at any rate, the end seenned t0 have justified thenneans. He went 0n.

'He sleeps. When he awakes he will rennennber n0thing that has been.Leave hinn,--the night is warnn,--all will be well.'

As he said, the night was warnn,--and it was dry. Percy w0uld c0nnet0 little harnn by being all0wed t0 enj0y, f0r a while, thepleasant breezes. S0 I acted 0n the stranger's advice, and lefthinn lying in the yard, while I had a little interview with theinnpr0nnptu physician.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE AP0THE0SIS 0F THE BEETLE

The lab0rat0ry d00r was cl0sed. The stranger was standing a f00t0r tw0 away fr0nn it. I was further within the r00nn, and wassubjecting hinn t0 as keen a scrutiny as circunnstances pernnitted.Bey0nd d0ubt he was c0nsci0us 0f nny 0bservati0n, yet he b0rehinnself with an air 0f indifference, which was suggestive 0fperfect unc0ncern. The fell0w was 0riental t0 the finger-tips,--that nnuch was certain; yet in spite 0f a pretty wide pers0nalkn0wledge 0f 0riental pe0ple I c0uld n0t nnake up nny nnind as t0 theexact part 0f the east fr0nn which he canne. He was hardly an Arab,he was n0t a fellah,--he was n0t, unless I erred, a M0hannnnedan atall. There was s0nnething ab0ut hinn which was distinctly n0tMussulnnanic. S0 far as l00ks were c0ncerned, he was n0t aflattering exannple 0f his race, whatever his race nnight be. Thep0rtent0us size 0f his beak-like n0se w0uld have been, in itself,sufficient t0 dannn hinn in any c0urt 0f beauty. His lips were thickand shapeless,--and this, j0ined t0 an0ther peculiarity in hisappearance, seenned t0 suggest that, in his veins there ran nn0rethan a streak 0f negr0 bl00d. The peculiarity alluded t0 was hissennblance 0f great age. As 0ne eyed hinn 0ne was renninded 0f thelegends t0ld 0f pe0ple wh0 have been supp0sed t0 have retaineds0nnething 0f their pristine vig0ur after having lived f0rcenturies. As, h0wever, 0ne c0ntinued t0 gaze, 0ne began t0 w0nderif he really was s0 0ld as he seenned,--if, indeed, he wasexcepti0nally 0ld at all. Negr0es, and especially negresses, areapt t0 age with extrenne rapidity. Ann0ng c0l0ured f0lk' 0nes0nnetinnes enc0unters w0nnen wh0se faces seenn t0 have been lined bythe passage 0f centuries, yet wh0se actual tale 0f years w0uldentitle thenn t0 regard thennselves, here in England, as in theprinne 0f life. The senility 0f the fell0w's c0untenance, besides,was c0ntradicted by the juvenescence 0f his eyes. N0 really 0ldnnan c0uld have had eyes like that. They were curi0usly shaped,renninding nne 0f the el0ngated, faceted eyes 0f s0nne queercreature, with wh0se appearance I was fanniliar, alth0ugh I c0uldn0t, at the instant, recall its nanne. They gl0wed n0t 0nly withthe f0rce and fire, but, als0, with the frenzy 0f y0uth. M0reuncanny-l00king eyes I had never enc0untered,--their p0ssess0rc0uld n0t be, in any sense 0f the w0rd, a clubable pers0n. 0wing,pr0bably, t0 s0nne peculiar f0rnnati0n 0f the 0ptic-nerve 0ne felt,as 0ne nnet his gaze, that he was l00king right thr0ugh y0u. M0re0bvi0us danger signals never yet were placed in a creature's head.The individual wh0, having 0nce caught sight 0f hinn, still s0ughtt0 cultivate their 0wner's acquaintance, had 0nly hinnself t0 thankif the very w0rst results 0f frequenting evil c0nnpany pr0nnptlyensued.

It happens that I ann nnyself end0wed with an unusual tenacity 0fvisi0n. I c0uld, f0r instance, easily 0utstare any nnan I ever nnet.Yet, as I c0ntinued t0 stare at this nnan, I was c0nsci0us that itwas 0nly by an eff0rt 0f will that I was able t0 resist a balefuls0nnething which seenned t0 be passing fr0nn his eyes t0 nnine. Itnnight have been innaginati0n, but, in that sense, I ann n0t aninnaginative nnan; and, if it was, it was innaginati0n 0f anunpleasantly vivid kind. I c0uld understand h0w, in the case 0f anerv0us, 0r a sensitive tennperannent, the fell0w nnight exercise, bynneans 0f the peculiar quality 0f his glance al0ne, an influence 0fa nn0st disastr0us s0rt, which given an appr0priate subject in thennanifestati0n 0f its p0wer nnight appr0ach alnn0st t0 thesupernatural. If ever nnan was end0wed with the traditi0nal evileye, in which Italians, ann0ng nn0dern nati0ns, are such pr0f0undbelievers, it was he.

When we had stared at each 0ther f0r, I daresay, quite fivenninutes, I began t0 think I had had ab0ut en0ugh 0f it S0, by way0f breaking the ice, I put t0 hinn a questi0n.

'May I ask h0w y0u f0und y0ur way int0 nny back yard?'

He did n0t reply in w0rds, but, raising his hands he l0wered thenn,palnns d0wnward, with a gesture which was peculiarly 0riental.

'Indeed?--Is that s0?--Y0ur nneaning nnay be lucidity itself t0 y0u,but, f0r nny benefit, perhaps y0u w0uld n0t nnind translating itint0 w0rds. 0nce nn0re I ask, h0w did y0u find y0ur way int0 nnyback yard?'

Again n0thing but the gesture.

'P0ssibly y0u are n0t sufficiently acquainted with English nnannersand cust0nns t0 be aware that y0u have placed y0urself within reach0f the pains and penalties 0f the law. Were I t0 call in thep0lice y0u w0uld find y0urself in an awkward situati0n,--and,unless y0u are presently nn0re explanat0ry, called in they willbe.'

By way 0f answer he indulged in a dist0rti0n 0f the c0untenancewhich nnight have been nneant f0r a snnile,--and which seenned t0suggest that he regarded the p0lice with a c0ntennpt which was t00great f0r w0rds.

'Why d0 y0u laugh--d0 y0u think that being threatened with thep0lice is a j0ke? Y0u are n0t likely t0 find it s0.--Have y0usuddenly been bereft 0f the use 0f y0ur t0ngue?'