And then the miracle came.

Prichard, the ex-butler who valeted all the young gentlemen in the house
where Philip had taken chambers, brought him his breakfast. As he
placed the eggs and muffins on the tables to Philip it seemed as though
Prichard had said: "I am sorry he is leaving us. The next gentleman
who takes these rooms may not be so open-handed. He never locked up his
cigars or his whiskey. I wish he'd give me his old dress-coat. It fits
me, except across the shoulders."

Philip stared hard at Prichard; but the lips of the valet had not moved.
In surprise and bewilderment, Philip demanded:

"How do you know it fits? Have you tried it on?"

"I wouldn't take such a liberty," protested Prichard. "Not with any of
our gentlemen's clothes."

"How did you know I was talking about clothes," demanded Philip. "You
didn't say anything about clothes, did you?"

"No, sir, I did not; but you asked me, sir, and I--"

"Were you thinking of clothes?"

"Well, sir, you might say, in a way, that I was," answered the valet.
"Seeing as you're leaving, sir, and they're not over-new, I thought..."

"It's mental telepathy," said Philip.

"I beg your pardon," exclaimed Prichard.

"You needn't wait," said Philip.

The coincidence puzzled him; but by the time he had read the morning
papers he had forgotten about it, and it was not until he had emerged
into the street that it was forcibly recalled. The street was crowded
with people; and as Philip stepped in among them, It was as though every
one at whom he looked began to talk aloud. Their lips did not move,
nor did any sound issue from between them; but, without ceasing, broken
phrases of thoughts came to him as clearly as when, in passing in a
crowd, snatches of talk are carried to the ears. One man thought of his
debts; another of the weather, and of what disaster it might bring to
his silk hat; another planned his luncheon; another was rejoicing over
a telegram he had but that moment received. To himself he kept repeating
the words of the telegram--"No need to come, out of danger." To Philip
the message came as clearly as though he were reading it from the folded
slip of paper that the stranger clutched in his hand.

Confused and somewhat frightened, and in order that undisturbed he might
consider what had befallen him, Philip sought refuge from the crowded
street in the hallway of a building. His first thought was that for some
unaccountable cause his brain for the mome