of Mesmer, and the works of Dr. Justinus Kerner, of Weinsberg,
would enlarge your ideas."

I did not particularly relish having a course of reading prescribed for
me on a subject connected with my own profession, so I made no comment,
but rose to take my departure. Before doing so I felt his pulse once
more, and found that the fever had entirely left him in the sudden,
unaccountable fashion which is peculiar to these malarious types of
disease.

I turned my face towards him to congratulate him upon his improvement,
and stretched out my hand at the same time to pick my gloves from the
table, with the result that I raised not only my own property, but also
the linen cloth which was arranged over some object in the centre.

I might not have noticed what I had done had I not seen an angry look
upon the invalid's face and heard him utter an impatient exclamation.
I at once turned, and replaced the cloth so promptly that I should
have been unable to say what was underneath it, beyond having a general
impression that it looked like a bride-cake.

"All right, doctor," the general said good-humouredly, perceiving how
entirely accidental the incident was. "There is no reason why you should
not see it," and stretching out his hand, he pulled away the linen
covering for the second time.

I then perceived that what I had taken for a bride-cake was really an
admirably executed model of a lofty range of mountains, whose snow-clad
peaks were not unlike the familiar sugar pinnacles and minarets.

"These are the Himalayas, or at least the Surinam branch of them," he
remarked, "showing the principal passes between India and Afghanistan.
It is an excellent model. This ground has a special interest for me,
because it is the scene of my first campaign. There is the pass opposite
Kalabagh and the Thul valley, where I was engaged during the summer
of 1841 in protecting the convoys and keeping the Afridis in order. It
wasn't a sinecure, I promise you."

"And this," said I, indicating a blood-red spot which had been marked
on one side of the pass which he had pointed out--"this is the scene of
some fight in which you were engaged."

"Yes, we had a skirmish there," he answered, leaning forward and looking
at the red mark. "We were attacked by--"

At this moment he fell back upon his pillow as if he had been shot,
while the same look of horror came over his face which I had observed
when I first entered the room. At the same instant ther