illusion
caused by the magnifying effects of the smoke; for, as it cleared, his
visitor proved to be of no more than ordinary stature. He was elderly,
and, indeed, venerable of appearance, and wore an Eastern robe and
head-dress of a dark-green hue. He stood there with uplifted hands,
uttering something in a loud tone and a language unknown to Horace.

Ventimore, being still somewhat dazed, felt no surprise at seeing him.
Mrs. Rapkin must have let her second floor at last--to some Oriental. He
would have preferred an Englishman as a fellow-lodger, but this
foreigner must have noticed the smoke and rushed in to offer assistance,
which was both neighbourly and plucky of him.

"Awfully good of you to come in, sir," he said, as he scrambled to his
feet. "I don't know what's happened exactly, but there's no harm done.
I'm only a trifle shaken, that's all. By the way, I suppose you can
speak English?"

"Assuredly I can speak so as to be understood by all whom I address,"
answered the stranger.

"Dost thou not understand my speech?"

"Perfectly, now," said Horace. "But you made a remark just now which I
didn't follow--would you mind repeating it?"

"I said: 'Repentance, O Prophet of God! I will not return to the like
conduct ever.'"

"Ah," said Horace. "I dare say you _were_ rather startled. So was I when
I opened that bottle."

"Tell me--was it indeed thy hand that removed the seal, O young man of
kindness and good works?"

"I certainly did open it," said Ventimore, "though I don't know where
the kindness comes in--for I've no notion what was inside the thing."

"I was inside it," said the stranger, calmly.

CHAPTER IV

AT LARGE

"So _you_ were inside that bottle, were you?" said Horace, blandly. "How
singular!" He began to realise that he had to deal with an Oriental
lunatic, and must humour him to some extent. Fortunately he did not seem
at all dangerous, though undeniably eccentric-looking. His hair fell in
disorderly profusion from under his high turban about his cheeks, which
were of a uniform pale rhubarb tint; his grey beard streamed out in
three thin strands, and his long, narrow eyes, opal in hue, and set
rather wide apart and at a slight angle, had a curious expression, part
slyness and part childlike simplicity.

"Dost thou doubt that I speak truth? I tell thee that I have been
confined in that accursed vessel for countless centuries--how long, I
know not, for it is beyond calculation."