e stone gallery, I saw, to my
horror, a light emerging from the Groschen Hall. Monteagle, who is
fearfully superstitious, began chattering his teeth. When we reached the
small door I saw it was open. A thief had evidently forestalled us.
Monteagle suggested going back, and leaving the thief to make off with
the MS.; but I would not hear of such a proposal.

The door opening to the Groschen Hall at the end of the gallery was open,
and beyond, a man, whom I at once recognised as the little Lutheran, was
busily engaged in picking the lock of the case where were deposited the
Book of Jasher and Aulus Gellius. Telling Monteagle to guard the door, I
approached very softly, keeping behind the plaster casts. I was within a
yard of him before he heard my boots creak. Then he turned round, and I
found myself face to face with Dr. Groschen. I have never seen such a
look of terror on any one's face.

'You scoundrel!' I cried, collecting myself, 'drop those things at once!'
and I made for him with my fist. He dodged me. I ran after him; but he
threaded his way like a rat through the statues and cases of antiquities,
and bolted down the passage out of the door, where he upset Monteagle and
the lantern, and disappeared in the darkness and rain. I then returned
to the scene of his labours. Monteagle was too frightened, owing to the
rather ghostly appearance of the museum by the light of a feeble
oil-lamp. In a small cupboard there was some dry sacking I had deposited
there for the purpose some days before. This I ignited, along with
certain native curiosities of straw and skin, wicker-work, and other
ethnographical treasures.

Some new unpacked cases left by the attendants the previous afternoon
materially assisted the conflagration.

It was an impressive scene, to witness the flames playing round the
pedestals of the torsos, statues, and cases. I only waited for a few
moments to make sure that my work was complete. I shut the iron door
between the gallery and the hall to avoid the possibility of the fire
spreading to the rest of the building. Then I seized Monteagle by the
arm and hurried him through the rhododendrons, over the wall, into the
meadows. I turned back once, and just caught a glimpse of red flame
bursting through the windows. Having seen Monteagle half-way back to the
college, I returned to see if any alarm was given. Already a small crowd
was collecting. A fire-engine arrived, and a local pump was