g under the influence of the sun.

I was revolving in my mind a theory as to why Leonora had lost her
voice. I already knew that the germ produced odd changes in the realm of
likes and dislikes. I remembered Sarakoff's words that the germ was
killing desire. My thoughts were clear, easy and lucid, and the problem
afforded by Leonora's singular experience gave me a sense of quiet
enjoyment. If the germ really did do away with desire, why should it at
the same time do away with Leonora's wonderful voice? I recalled with
marvellous facility everything I knew about her. My memory supplied me
with every detail at the dinner of the Pyramid Restaurant. The words of
Sarakoff, which had at the time seemed coarse, came back to me. He had
called her a vain ambitious cold-hearted woman, who thought that her
voice and her beauty could not be beaten.

My reflections were interrupted by the policeman.

"The lady," he remarked, "has lost her voice sudden-like. Now I lost my
'abit of arresting people sudden-like too. I lost it this morning. Any
other time I should have taken the gentleman in the dressing-gown in
charge for being improperly dressed. But this morning it don't come
natural to me. If he wants to wear a dressing-gown on the Spaniard's
Walk, he presumably 'as his own reasons. It don't concern me."

"It seems to me that the germ takes ambition out of us," said Sarakoff.

"Ambition?" said the policeman. "No, that ain't right. I've got ambition
still--only it's a different kind of ambition."

"I have no ambition now," said Leonora at length. "Alexis is right. This
malady has taken the ambition out of me. I may be Immortal, but if I am,
then I am an Immortal without ambition. I seem to be lost, to be
suddenly diffused into space or time, to be a kind of vapour. Something
has dissolved in me--something hard, bright, alert. I do not know why I
am here. The car came round as usual to take me for my morning run. I
got in--why I don't know."

Sarakoff was studying her attentively.

"It is very strange," he said. "You used to arouse a feeling of strength
and determination in me, Leonora. You used to stimulate me intensely.
This morning I only feel one thing about you."

"What is that?"

"I feel that I have cheated you."

"Cheated her?" exclaimed the policeman. "How do you come to that
conclusion?"

"I've destroyed the one thing that was herself--I've destroyed desire in
her. I've left her a mind devoid of all values tacke