"Yes, yes, of course; I am ready to begin again now, if you care to go
on with me," said Challis. He talked for a few minutes of the book
without any great show of interest. Presently they came to a pause, and
Lewes suggested that he should give some account of how his time had
been spent.

"To-morrow," replied Challis, "to-morrow will be time enough. I shall
settle down again in a few days." He hesitated a moment, and then said:
"Any news from Chilborough?"

"N-no, I don't think so," returned Lewes. He was occupied with his own
interests; he doubted Challis's intention to continue his work on the
book--the announcement had been so half-hearted.

"What about that child?" asked Challis.

"That child?" Lewes appeared to have forgotten the existence of Victor
Stott.

"That abnormal child of Stott's?" prompted Challis.

"Oh! Of course, yes. I believe he still goes nearly every day to the
library. I have been down there two or three times, and found him
reading. He has learned the use of the index-catalogue. He can get any
book he wants. He uses the steps."

"Do you know what he reads?"

"No; I can't say I do."

"What do you think will become of him?"

"Oh! these infant prodigies, you know," said Lewes with a large air of
authority, "they all go the same way. Most of them die young, of course,
the others develop into ordinary commonplace men rather under than over
the normal ability. After all, it is what one would expect. Nature
always maintains her average by some means or another. If a child like
this with his abnormal memory were to go on developing, there would be
no place for him in the world's economy. The idea is inconceivable."

"Quite, quite," murmured Challis, and after a short silence he added:
"You think he will deteriorate, that his faculties will decay
prematurely?"

"I should say there could be no doubt of it," replied Lewes.

"Ah! well. I'll go down and have a look at him, one day next week," said
Challis; but he did not go till the middle of October.

The immediate cause of his going was a letter from Crashaw, who offered
to come up to town, as the matter was one of "really peculiar urgency."

"I wonder if young Stott has been blaspheming again," Challis remarked
to Lewes. "Wire the man that I'll go down and see him this afternoon. I
shall motor. Say I'll be at Stoke about half-past three."

II

Challis was ushered into Crashaw's study on his arrival, and found the
rector in comp