not have allowed you to see her
without being warned. She has a strange delusion, and you ought to know
it."

"What is it?" asked Paul, in a thick voice.

"It is a very delicate matter. Come out into the garden, and I will tell
you what I know."

The two men went out together, and walked slowly along the open path
towards the woods. In the distance a few invalids moved painfully about
the garden, or rested on the benches beneath the trees. Far off a party
of children were playing and laughing merrily at their games.

"It is a delicate matter," repeated Dr. Cutter. "In the first place, I
must explain my own position here. I am an Englishman, devoted to
scientific pursuits. Originally a physician, subsequently professor in
one of our universities, I have given up both practice and professorship
in order to be at liberty to follow my studies. I am often abroad, and I
generally spend the summer in Switzerland or somewhere in South Germany.
I was at Rugby with Madame Patoff's brother-in-law, John Carvel, whom I
dare say you know, and I met Madame Patoff two years ago at Wiesbaden. I
met her there again, last year, and this summer, as I was coming to the
South, I found her in the same place,--little more than a month ago. In
both the former years your brother Alexander came to visit her, on leave
from St. Petersburg. I knew him, therefore, and was aware of her deep
affection for him. This time I found her very much depressed in spirits
because he had resolved to join you in Constantinople. Excuse me if I
pain you by referring to him. It is unavoidable. One morning she told me
that she had made up her mind to go to Turkey, traveling by easy stages
through Switzerland to Italy, and thence by steamer to the East. She
dreaded the long railway journey through Austria, and preferred the sea.
She was in bad health, and seemed very melancholy, and I proposed to
accompany her as far as the Italian frontier. We went to Lucerne, and
thence to Como, where I intended to leave her. She chose to wait there a
few days, in order to have her letters sent on to her before going to
the East. Among those which came was a long letter from you, in which
you told in detail the story of your brother's disappearance. Your
mother was alone in her sitting-room when she received it, but the
effect of the news was such that her maid found her lying insensible in
her chair some time afterwards, and thought it best to call me. I easily
revived her from