t certain diseases. Brains and nerves are
Benjulia's diseases. Without quite discontinuing his medical practice,
he limits himself to serious cases--when other doctors are puzzled, you
know, and want him to help them. With this exception, he has certainly
sacrificed his professional interests to his mania for experiments in
chemistry. What those experiments are, nobody knows but himself. He
keeps the key of his laboratory about him by day and by night. When the
place wants cleaning, he does the cleaning with his own hands."

Carmina listened with great interest: "Has nobody peeped in at the
windows?" she asked.

"There are no windows--only a skylight in the roof."

"Can't somebody get up on the roof, and look in through the skylight?"

Ovid laughed. "One of his men-servants is said to have tried that
experiment," he replied.

"And what did the servant see?"

"A large white blind, drawn under the skylight, and hiding the whole
room from view. Somehow, the doctor discovered him--and the man was
instantly dismissed. Of course there are reports which explain the
mystery of the doctor and his laboratory. One report says that he
is trying to find a way of turning common metals into gold. Another
declares that he is inventing some explosive compound, so horribly
destructive that it will put an end to war. All I can tell you is, that
his mind (when I happen to meet him) seems to be as completely absorbed
as ever in brains and nerves. But, what they can have to do with
chemical experiments, secretly pursued in a lonely field, is a riddle to
which I have thus far found no answer.

"Is he married?" Carmina inquired.

The question seemed to amuse Ovid. "If Doctor Benjulia had a wife, you
think we might get at his secrets? There is no such chance for us--he
manages his domestic affairs for himself."

"Hasn't he even got a housekeeper?"

"Not even a housekeeper!"

While he was making that reply, he saw the doctor slowly advancing
towards them. "Excuse me for one minute," he resumed; "I will just speak
to him, and come back to you."

Carmina turned to Miss Minerva in surprise.

"Ovid seems to have some reason for keeping the tall man away from us,"
she said. "Does he dislike Doctor Benjulia?"

But for restraining motives, the governess might have gratified her
hatred of Carmina by a sharp reply. She had her reasons--not only after
what she had overheard in the conservatory, but after what she had seen
in the Gardens-