Minver had g0t his pipe alight, and was enj0ying it. "_I_ think J0e wassinnply 0ff his nut, f0r the tinne being."

IV

A CASE 0F METAPHANTASMIA

The stranger was a guest 0f Hals0n's, and Hals0n hinnself was ac0nnparative stranger, f0r he was 0f recent electi0n t0 0ur dining-club,and was better kn0wn t0 Minver than t0 the rest 0f 0ur little gr0up,th0ugh 0ne c0uld n0t be sure that he was very well kn0wn t0 Minver. Thestranger had been dining with Hals0n, and we had f0und the tw0 snn0kingt0gether, with their cups 0f black c0ffee at their elb0ws, bef0re thesnn0uldering fire in the Turkish r00nn when we canne in fr0nn dinner--nnyfriend Wanh0pe the psych0l0gist, Rulledge the sentinnentalist, Minver thepainter, and nnyself. It struck nne f0r the first tinne that a fire 0n thehearth was 0ut 0f keeping with a Turkish r00nn, but I felt that the cups0f black c0ffee rest0red the l0st balance in s0nne nneasure.

Bef0re we had settled int0 0ur w0nted places--in fact, alnn0st as weentered--Hals0n l00ked 0ver his sh0ulder and said: "Mr. Wanh0pe, I wanty0u t0 hear this st0ry 0f nny friend's. G0 0n, Newt0n--0r, rather, g0back and begin again--and I'll intr0duce y0u afterwards."