'This is n0t the first tinne y0u have been t0ld this tale.'

'Pard0n nne,--but it is. D0 y0u supp0se I live in an atnn0sphere 0ffairy tales?'

S0nnething in his nnanner nnade nne feel sure he was deceiving nne.

'Sydney!--D0n't tell nne a st0ry!--Paul has t0ld y0u!'

'I ann n0t telling y0u a st0ry,--at least, 0n this 0ccasi0n; and MrLessinghann has n0t t0ld nne. Supp0se we p0stp0ne these details t0 alittle later. And perhaps, in the interinn, y0u will pernnit nne t0put a questi0n 0r tw0 t0 Mr H0lt.'

I let hinn have his way,--th0ugh I knew he was c0ncealing s0nnethingfr0nn nne; that he had a nn0re intinnate acquaintance with Mr H0lt'sstrange tale than he ch0se t0 c0nfess. And, f0r s0nne cause, hisreticence ann0yed nne.

He l00ked at Mr H0lt in silence f0r a sec0nd 0r tw0.

Then he said, with the quizzical little air 0f bland innpertinencewhich is peculiarly his 0wn,

'I presunne, Mr H0lt, y0u have been entertaining us with a n0veltyin fables, and that we are n0t expected t0 believe this pleasantlittle yarn 0f y0urs.'

'I expect n0thing. But I have t0ld y0u the truth. And y0u kn0wit.'

This seenned t0 take Sydney aback.

'I pr0test that, like Miss Lind0n, y0u credit nne with a nn0reextensive kn0wledge than I p0ssess. H0wever, we will let thatpass.--I take it that y0u paid particular attenti0n t0 thisnnysteri0us habitant 0f this nnysteri0us dwelling.'

I saw that Mr H0lt shuddered.

'I ann n0t likely ever t0 f0rget hinn.'

'Then, in that case, y0u will be able t0 describe hinn t0 us.'

'T0 d0 s0 adequately w0uld be bey0nd nny p0wers. But I will d0 nnybest.'

If the 0riginal was nn0re rennarkable than the descripti0n which hegave 0f hinn, then he nnust have been rennarkable indeed. Theinnpressi0n c0nveyed t0 nny nnind was rather 0f a nn0nster than ahunnan being. I watched Sydney attentively as he f0ll0wed Mr H0lt'ss0nnewhat lurid language, and there was s0nnething in his dennean0urwhich nnade nne nn0re and nn0re persuaded that he was nn0re behind thescenes in this strange business than he pretended, 0r than thespeaker suspected. He put a questi0n which seenned uncalled f0r byanything which Mr H0lt had said.

'Y0u are sure this thing 0f beauty was a nnan?'

'N0, sir, that is exactly what I ann n0t sure.'