of its natural harshness was disguised, set me wondering where I
had heard it before. It needed no further scrutiny of the hawk face to
convince me that I had never hitherto met Dr. Damar Greefe; but I
certainly believed that I had previously heard his voice, although I
quite failed to recall where and under what circumstances.

"Sir Burnham has been dead for several years, I believe?" I asked
tentatively.

"For several years, yes."

Without returning to the peremptory tone which had distinguished his
earlier manner, Dr. Damar Greefe coldly but courteously blocked my
path to discussion of the Coverly family; and after several abortive
attempts to draw him out upon the point, I recognized this deliberate
design and abandoned the matter.

The storm was moving westward, and although brilliant flashes of
lightning several times lighted up the queer room, gleaming upon the
gayly-painted lid of an Egyptian sarcophagus or throwing into horrid
relief some anatomical specimen in one of the cases, the thunder
crashed no more over the house. But its booming reached my ears from
away upon a remote spur of the hills. I became aware of a growing
uneasiness in the company of my chance host, who sat by the oddly
littered table, watching me with those birdlike eyes.

"Surely," I said, "the rain has ceased?"

"Temporarily," he replied, glancing toward the terrace. "But I should
advise you to delay a few minutes longer. There is every threat of a
concluding downpour to come ere long."

"Many thanks," I returned; "I'll risk it. I have already trespassed
unwarrantably upon your time, Dr. Greefe. It was good of you to give
me shelter."

He rose, a tall thin figure, vaguely repellent, upon realizing that I
was set on departure, and conducted me out by way of the front door.
Standing in the porch:

"At any time that you chance to be again in my neighborhood, Mr.
Addison," he said, "I beg of you to call. I have few visitors."

By what process, whether of reasoning or intuition, I came to the
conclusion, I know not; but as I turned the bend of the tree-roofed
drive and saw the deserted lodge ahead, I knew beyond any possibility
of doubt that Dr. Damar Greefe had not returned to his studies, but
had swiftly passed along some path through the trees so as to head me
off! His purpose in so doing I knew not, but that he had cherished
this purpose and proposed to act upon it I had divined in some way at
the moment that I had left him in t