distinct thought in his mind just then was that the green lamp-shade
lent a particularly ghastly hue to the Doctor's face.

"Take your time, Bultitude," said the latter, after a long minute, in
which a little skeleton clock on the mantelpiece ticked loudly--"there's
no hurry, my boy."

But this only reminded Paul that there was every need for hurry--Chawner
might come in, and follow him here, unless he made haste.

Still, he could only say, "You see me in a very agitated state, Dr.
Grimstone--a very agitated state, sir."

The Doctor gave a short, dry cough. "Well, Bultitude," he said.

"The fact is, sir, I'm in a most unfortunate position, and--and the
worst of it is, I don't know how to begin." Here he made another dead
stop, while the Doctor raised his heavy eyebrows, and looked at the
clock.

"Do you see any prospect of your finding yourself able to begin soon?"
he inquired at last, with rather suspicious suavity. "Perhaps if you
came to me later on----"

"Not for the world!" said Paul, in a highly nervous condition. "I shall
begin very soon, Doctor, I shall begin directly. Mine is such a very
singular case; it's difficult, as you see, to, to open it!"

"Have you anything on your mind?" asked the Doctor suddenly.

Paul could hear steps and voices in the adjoining cloakroom--the
churchgoers had returned. "Yes--no!" he answered, losing his head
completely now.

"That's a somewhat extraordinary, not to say an ambiguous, reply," said
the Doctor; "what am I to understand by----"

There was a tap at the door. Paul started to his feet in a panic. "Don't
let him in!" he shrieked, finding his voice at last. "Hear me first--you
shall hear me first! Say that other rascal is not to come in. He wants
to ruin me!"

"I was going to say I was engaged," said the Doctor; "but there's
something under this I must understand. Come in, whoever you are."

And the door opened softly, and Chawner stepped meekly in; he was rather
pale and breathed hard, but was otherwise quite composed.

"Now, then, Chawner," said the Doctor impatiently, "what is it? Have you
something on your mind, too?"

"Please, sir," said Chawner, "has Bultitude told you anything yet?"

"No, why? Hold your tongue, Bultitude. I shall hear Chawner now--not
you!"

"Because, sir," explained Chawner, "he knew I had made up my mind to
tell you something I thought you ought to know about him, and so he
threatened to come first and tell some falsehood (I'm s