me compared to my living terror of the
Thing that had dominated my whole existence, reappearing at its every
crisis, and by some strange fate even when it was far from me, throwing
its spell over my mind and fortunes till, because of it, I turned my
skill and knowledge to the propagation of a lie, so mischievous in its
results that had the world known me as I was it would have done wisely
to deal by me as it deals with a dangerous lunatic?

I would do it and at once.

First, although it was unnecessary as all the servants had gone to rest,
I locked that door of my study which opened into the hall. The other
door I did not think of locking, for beyond it was nothing but the
private staircase which led to the wing of the house occupied by Jane
and myself. Then I took off my coat and rolled up my shirt sleeve,
fastening it with a safety-pin to the linen upon my shoulder. After this
I lit a spirit-lamp and sterilised my lancet by heating it in the flame.
Now, having provided myself with an ivory point and unsealed the tiny
tube of lymph, I sat down in a chair so that the light from the electric
lamp fell full upon my arm, and proceeded to scape the skin with the
lancet until blood appeared in four or five separate places. Next I took
the ivory point, and, after cleansing it, I charged it with the lymph
and applied it to the abrasions, being careful to give each of them a
liberal dose. The operation finished, I sat still awhile letting my
arm hang over the back of the chair, in order that the blood might dry
thoroughly before I drew down my shirt sleeve.

It was while I was sitting thus that I heard some movement behind me,
and turned round suddenly to find myself face to face with my daughter
Jane. She was clothed only in her nightdress and a bedroom wrapper, and
stood near to the open staircase door, resting her hand upon the end of
a lounge as though to support herself.

For one moment only I saw her and noted the look of horror in her eyes,
the next I had touched the switch of the electric light, and, save for
the faint blue glimmer of the spirit lamp, there was darkness.

"Father," she said, and in the gloom her voice sounded far away and
hollow, "what are you doing to your arm?"

"I stumbled and fell against the corner of the mantelpiece and scratched
it," I began wildly, but she stopped me.

"O father, have pity, for I cannot bear to hear you speak what is not
true, and--_I saw it all_."

Then followed a sile