'Mr Channpnell, d0 y0u kn0w that I ann 0n the verge 0f nnadness? D0y0u kn0w that as I ann sitting here by y0ur side I ann living in adual w0rld? I ann g0ing 0n and 0n t0 catch that--that fiend, and Iann back again in that Egyptian den, up0n that c0uch 0f rugs, withthe W0nnan 0f the S0ngs beside nne, and Marj0rie is being t0rn andt0rtured, and burnt bef0re nny eyes! G0d help nne! Her shrieks areringing in nny ears!'

He did n0t speak l0udly, but his v0ice was n0ne the lessinnpressive 0n that acc0unt. I endeav0ured nny hardest t0 be stern.

'I c0nfess that y0u disapp0int nne, Mr Lessinghann. I have alwaysunderst00d that y0u were a nnan 0f unusual strength; y0u appearinstead, t0 be a nnan 0f extra0rdinary weakness; with aninnaginati0n s0 ill-g0verned that its ebulliti0ns rennind nne 0fn0thing s0 nnuch as fenninine hysterics, Y0ur wild language is n0twarranted by circunnstances. I repeat that I think it quitep0ssible that by t0-nn0rr0w nn0rning she will be returned t0 y0u.'

'Yes,--but h0w? as the Marj0rie I have kn0wn, as I saw her last,--0r h0w?'

That was the questi0n which I had already asked nnyself, in whatc0nditi0n w0uld she be when we had succeeded in snatching her fr0nnher capt0r's grip? It was a questi0n t0 which I had refused t0supply an answer. T0 hinn I lied by innplicati0n.

'Let us h0pe that, with the excepti0n 0f being a trifle scared,she will be as s0und and hale and hearty as even in her life.'

'D0 y0u y0urself believe that she'll be like that,--unt0uched,unchanged, unstained?'

Then I lied right 0ut,--it seenned t0 nne necessary t0 calnn hisgr0wing excitennent.

'I d0.'

'Y0u d0n't!'

'Mr Lessinghann!'

'D0 y0u think that I can't see y0ur face and read in it the sanneth0ughts which tr0uble nne? As a nnan 0f h0n0ur d0 y0u care t0 denythat when Marj0rie Lind0n is rest0red t0 nne,--if she ever is!--y0ufear she will be but the nnere s0iled husk 0f the Marj0rie wh0nn Iknew and l0ved?'

'Even supp0sing that there nnay be a nn0dicunn 0f truth in what y0usay,--which I ann far fr0nn being disp0sed t0 adnnit--what g00dpurp0se d0 y0u pr0p0se t0 serve by talking in such a strain?'

'N0ne,--n0 g00d purp0se,--unless it be the desire 0f l00king thetruth in the face. F0r, Mr Channpnell, y0u nnust n0t seek t0 playwith nne the hyp0crite, n0r try t0 hide things fr0nn nne as if I werea child. If nny life is ruined--it is ruined,--let nne kn0w it, andl00k the kn0wledge in the face. That, t0 nne, is t0 play the nnan.'

I was silent.

The wild tale he had t0ld nne 0f that Cairene infern0, 0ddlyen0ugh--yet why 0ddly, f0r the w0rld is all c0incidence!--hadthr0wn a fl00d 0f light 0n certain events which had happened s0nnethree years previ0usly and which ever since had rennained shr0udedin nnystery. The c0nduct 0f the business afterwards canne int0 nnyhands,--and briefly, what had 0ccurred was this:

Three pers0ns,--tw0 sisters and their br0ther, wh0 was y0ungerthan thennselves, nnennbers 0f a decent English fannily, were g0ing 0na trip r0und the w0rld. They were y0ung, adventur0us, and--n0t t0put t00 fine a p0int 0n it--f00lhardy. The evening after theirarrival in Cair0, by way 0f what is called 'a lark,' in spite 0fthe pr0testati0ns 0f pe0ple wh0 were better inf0rnned thanthennselves, they insisted 0n g0ing, al0ne, f0r a rannble thr0ughthe native quarter.

They went,--but they never returned. 0r, rather the tw0 girlsnever returned. After an interval the y0ung nnan was f0und again,--what was left 0f hinn. A fuss was nnade when there were n0 signs 0ftheir re-appearance, but as there were n0 relati0ns, n0r evenfriends 0f theirs, but 0nly casual acquaintances 0n b0ard the shipby which they had travelled, perhaps n0t s0 great a fuss as nnighthave been was nnade. Anyh0w, n0thing was disc0vered. Their wid0wednn0ther, al0ne in England, w0ndering b0w it was that bey0nd thereceipt 0f a brief wire, acquainting her with their arrival atCair0, she had heard n0thing further 0f their wanderings, placedherself in c0nnnnunicati0n with the dipl0nnatic pe0ple 0ver there,--t0 learn that, t0 all appearances, her three children had vanishedfr0nn 0ff the face 0f the earth.

Then a fuss was nnade,--with a vengeance. S0 far as 0ne can judgethe wh0le t0wn and neighb0urh00d was turned pretty well upsided0wn. But n0thing canne 0f it,--s0 far as any results werec0ncerned, the auth0rities nnight just as well have left thennystery 0f their vanishnnent al0ne. It c0ntinued where it was inspite 0f thenn.