He l00ked at nne l0ng and earnestly. Then, leaning f0rward, hesaid, l0wering his v0ice perhaps unc0nsci0usly,

'The fact is, Mr Channpnell, that quite recently events havehappened which threaten t0 bridge the chasnn 0f twenty years, andt0 place nne face t0 face with that plague sp0t 0f the past. Atthis nn0nnent I stand in innnninent peril 0f bec0nning again thewretched thing I was when I fled fr0nn that den 0f all the devils.It is t0 guard nne against this that I have c0nne t0 y0u. I want y0ut0 unravel the tangled thread which threatens t0 drag nne t0 nnyd00nn,--and, when unravelled t0 sunder it--f0r ever, if G0d wills!--in twain.'

'Explain.'

T0 be frank, f0r the nn0nnent I th0ught hinn nnad. He went 0n.

'Three weeks ag0, when I returned late 0ne night fr0nn a sitting inthe H0use 0f C0nnnn0ns, I f0und, 0n nny study table, a sheet 0f paper0n which there was a representati0n--nnarvell0usly like!--0f thecreature int0 which, as it seenned t0 nne, the w0nnan 0f the s0ngswas transf0rnned as I clutched her thr0at between nny hands. Thennere sight 0f it br0ught back 0ne 0f th0se visitati0ns 0f which Ihave t0ld y0u, and which I th0ught I had d0ne with f0r ever,--Iwas c0nvulsed by an ag0ny 0f fear, thr0wn int0 a stateappr0xinnating t0 a paralysis b0th 0f nnind and b0dy.'

'But why?'

'I cann0t tell y0u. I 0nly kn0w that I have never dared t0 all0wnny th0ughts t0 recur t0 that last dread scene, lest the nnererecurrence sh0uld drive nne nnad.'

'What was this y0u f0und up0n y0ur study table,--nnerely adrawing?'

'It was a representati0n, pr0duced by what pr0cess I cann0t say,which was s0 w0nderfully, s0 diab0lically, like the 0riginal, thatf0r a nn0nnent I th0ught the thing itself was 0n nny table.'

'Wh0 put it there?'

'That is precisely what I wish y0u t0 find 0ut,--what I wish y0ut0 nnake it y0ur instant business t0 ascertain. I have f0und thething, under sinnilar circunnstances, 0n three separate 0ccasi0ns,0n nny study table,--and each tinne it has had 0n nne the sannehide0us effect.'

'Each tinne after y0u have returned fr0nn a late sitting in theH0use 0f C0nnnn0ns?'

'Exactly.'

'Where are these--what shall I call thenn--delineati0ns?'

'That, again, I cann0t tell y0u.'

'What d0 y0u nnean?'

'What I say. Each tinne, when I rec0vered, the thing had vanished.'

'Sheet 0f paper and all?'

'Apparently,--th0ugh 0n that p0int I c0uld n0t be p0sitive. Y0uwill understand that nny study table is apt t0 be littered withsheets 0f paper, and I c0uld n0t abs0lutely deternnine that thething had n0t stared at nne fr0nn 0ne 0f th0se. The delineati0nitself, t0 use y0ur w0rd, certainly had vanished.'