sness. Then, to my
great disappointment, he shook his head.

"No," he said; "I am sure I never saw him before."

"Nor Silva?"

"No, nor Silva--except, of course, the time, three or four months ago,
when he gave me Mr. Vaughan's message."

"Have you a distinct recollection that the library was empty when you
sprang into it?"

"Yes; very distinct. I remember looking about it, and then running
past the table and discovering Miss Vaughan."

"You saw her father also?"

"Yes; but I merely glanced at him. I realised that he was dead."

"And you also have a distinct recollection that you did not approach
him or touch him?"

"I am quite certain of that," answered Swain, positively.

"Then I give it up," said Godfrey, and lay back in his chair.

There was a queer boiling of ideas in my mind; ideas difficult to
clothe with words, and composed of I know not what farrago of
occultism, mysticism, and Oriental magic; but at last I managed to
simmer them down to a timid question:

"I know it sounds foolish, but wouldn't it be possible, Godfrey, to
explain all this by hypnosis, or occult influence, or something of
that sort?"

Godfrey turned and looked at me.

"Silva seems to have impressed you," he said.

"He has. But isn't such an explanation possible?"

"I don't think so. I don't deny that the Orientals have gone farther
along certain paths of psychology than we have, but as to their
possessing any occult power, it is, in my opinion, all bosh. As for
hypnosis, the best authorities agree that no man can be hypnotised to
do a thing which, in his normal condition, would be profoundly
repugnant to him. Indeed, few men can be hypnotised against their
will. To be hypnotised, you have to yield yourself. Of course, the
more you yield yourself, the weaker you grow, but that doesn't apply
to Swain. I shouldn't advise you to use that line of argument to a
jury," he added, with a smile. "You'd better just leave the whole
thing up in the air."

"Well," I said, "I'll make the best fight I can. I was hoping Swain
could help me; since he can't, we'll have to trust to luck."

Godfrey left us to get his story of the morning hearing into shape,
and I fell into a gloomy revery. I could see no way out of the maze;
either Swain had touched Vaughan's body, or it had been touched by
another man with the same finger-markings. I sat suddenly upright, for
if there was such a man, he must be one of two....

"What is it?" Swain asked, l