in reality above medium height. His shoulders,
however, were very broad and thick, his neck short and powerful, his
head large, with heavy iron-gray hair. A short beard of the same color
covered the lower part of his face, while through a pair of gold-rimmed
spectacles his eyes shone with piercing brightness. Grace thought, as he
came toward her, that she had seldom seen a more striking-looking man.

"Be seated, miss," he said, addressing her in English, though with a
decided accent. "You are Miss Grace Ellicott, I believe." He glanced at
the card which he held in his hand.

"Yes," said Grace, nervously taking a seat.

"Mr. Phelps tells me you suffer from somnambulism," the doctor went on.
"How long have you observed the symptoms?"

"About six months," answered Grace, steadily.

"Are the occurrences frequent?"

"Yes. Almost every night."

"Had you experienced any great shock, about the time these
manifestations began?"

"Yes. My aunt, whom I loved very dearly, had died."

"Oh! And when you walk in your sleep, do you seem to see her?"

Grace reflected over this question for several moments. Then she
recollected that persons given to somnambulism never remember their
experiences. "No. I have no recollection of what occurs."

The doctor's face was lit with a satisfied smile. He came over to Grace,
drew apart the lids of one of her eyes and gazed into it, looked at her
hands critically, felt her pulse for a moment, then asked suddenly,
"Have you ever been placed under the influence of hypnosis?"

She trembled. If this man were to hypnotize her, as she was perfectly
certain that he could, he might force her to tell him everything, and
thereby endanger the success of the whole plan. "No," she replied,
firmly. "I should not care for it."

"It is a method of treatment, miss, which I use a great deal."

"I hope it will not be necessary, doctor, to use it upon me. I have
always had a horror of being hypnotized. Please do not attempt it."

"Very well, miss," the doctor laughed. "It may not be necessary. Before
we go further with your case, I shall want to observe it carefully for a
few days. You understand my terms, of course." The doctor named a large
sum. "So much each week, and an additional charge for my services,
depending upon the nature of the case."

Grace nodded, although the amount was sufficiently large to stagger her.
"I shall gladly pay what you ask," she said, "if you can only cure me."
She rose a