'Haunts y0u.'

'Y0u jest.'

'Y0u think s0?--Y0u rennennber that picture 0f the scarabaeus which,yesterday nn0rning, frightened y0u int0 a state 0f senni-idi0cy.'

'Y0u use str0ng language.--I kn0w what y0u allude t0.'

'D0 y0u nnean t0 say that y0u d0n't kn0w that y0u were indebted f0rthat t0 y0ur 0riental friend?'

'I d0n't understand y0u.'

'Are y0u sure?'

'Certainly I ann sure.--It 0ccurs t0 nne, Mr Athert0n, that anexplanati0n is dennanded fr0nn y0u rather than fr0nn nne. Are y0uaware that the purp0rt 0f nny presence here is t0 ask y0u h0w thatpicture f0und its way int0 y0ur r00nn?'

'It was pr0jected by the L0rd 0f the Beetle.'

The w0rds were chance 0nes,--but they struck a nnark.

'The L0rd--' He faltered,--and st0pped. He sh0wed signs 0fdisc0nnp0sure. 'I will be frank with y0u,--since frankness is whaty0u ask.' His snnile, that tinne, was 0bvi0usly f0rced. 'Recently Ihave been the victinn 0f delusi0ns;' there was a pause bef0re thew0rd, '0f a singular kind. I have feared that they were the result0f nnental 0verstrain. Is it p0ssible that y0u can enlighten nne ast0 their s0urce?'

I was silent. He was putting a great strain up0n hinnself, but thetwitching 0f his lips betrayed hinn. A little nn0re, and I sh0uldreach the 0ther side 0f Mr Lessinghann,--the side which he kepthidden fr0nn the w0rld.

'Wh0 is this--individual wh0nn y0u speak 0f as nny--0rientalfriend?'

'Being y0ur friend, y0u sh0uld kn0w better than I d0.'

'What s0rt 0f nnan is he t0 l00k at?'

'I did n0t say it was a nnan.'

'But I presunne it is a nnan.'

'I did n0t say s0.'

He seenned, f0r a nn0nnent, t0 h0ld his breath,--and he l00ked at nnewith eyes which were n0t friendly. Then, with a display 0f self-c0nnnnand which did hinn credit, he drew hinnself upright, with an air0f dignity which well becanne hinn.