rysophrasia with a certain surprise, and he looked upon Hermione
with a great admiration as she came forward and put out her hand. John
Carvel stood near by, and I thought his expression changed as he saw the
glance his nephew bestowed upon his daughter. I slipped away to the
library, and left the family party to themselves. Professor Cutter had
not yet appeared, and I hoped to find him. Sure enough, he was among the
books. Three or four large volumes lay open upon a table near the
window, and the sturdy professor was turning over the leaves, holding a
pencil in his mouth and a sheet of paper in one hand, the image of a
student in the pursuit of knowledge. I went straight up to him.

"Professor Cutter," I said, "you asked me last night whether I had ever
heard anything more of the lady with whom I met you at Weissenstein. I
have heard of her this morning."

The scientist took the pencil from his mouth, and thrust his hands into
his pockets, gazing upon me through the large round lenses of his
spectacles. He glanced towards the door before he spoke.

"Well, what have you heard?" he asked.

"Only that she was Paul Patoff's mother," I answered.

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing."

"And how did you come by the information, if you please?" he inquired.

"Very simply. Paul Patoff volunteered to tell me that you had been his
mother's physician for some time. I remembered that you warned me not to
speak of the Weissenstein affair to our friend Carvel; that was natural
enough, since the lady was his sister-in-law. She did not look at all
like Paul, it is true, but you are not in the habit of playing
physician, and it is a thousand to one that you have attended no one
else in the last year who is in any way connected with John Carvel."

The learned doctor smiled.

"You have made a very good guess, Mr. Griggs," he said. "Paul Patoff is
a silly fellow enough, or he would not have spoken so plainly. Why do
you tell me that you have found me out?"

"Because I imagine that you are still interested in the lady, and that
you had better be informed of everything connected with the case."

"The case--yes--it is a very singular case, and I am intensely
interested in it. Besides, it has very nearly cost me my reputation, as
well as my life. I assure you I have rarely had to do with such a case,
nor have I ever experienced such a sensation as when I went over the
cliff at Weissenstein after Madame Patoff."

"Probably not," I remarked