Coques. "What an extraordinary thing! I've broken my
dream."

In the twinkling of an eye Vandy's importance was snatched from him, and
the prophet's mantle had fallen upon Adele. Where, but a moment before,
he had been strutting in all the pride of a proprietor, she held the
stage. More. Neither our discomfited host nor his sisters could divine
what was toward, and the fact that their guests crowded eagerly about
Adele, encouraging her to "let them have it," was more disconcerting
than ever.

"It was in a garden," said Adele, "a quiet sort, of place. I think I was
walking behind him. I don't know how I got there, but he didn't see me.
All the same, he kept looking round, as if he was afraid he was being
watched. Presently we came to a place where there was a stone pedestal
standing. It wasn't exactly a pillar--it wasn't high enough. And it was
too high for a seat. Well, he stared at this for a moment; then he
looked around again, very cautiously, and then--it sounds idiotic, but
he began to prod the turf with his stick. At first he did it just
casually, here and there: but, after a little, he started prodding at
regular intervals, methodically. The ground was quite soft, and his
stick seemed to go in like a skewer. Suddenly he seemed to hear
something or somebody, for he listened very carefully, and then walked
on tiptoe to the pedestal and leaned up against it as if he were
resting. The next moment somebody--some man in ordinary clothes came out
of...." She hesitated. "I don't know whether it was some bushes or a
wall he came out of. Some bushes, I guess. Any way, he appeared,
and--don't laugh--gave him a green tomato. Then I woke up."

"And this is the man you saw?" cried Daphne, pointing.

Adele nodded.

"Dress and everything. He was wearing the same plumed hat and that
identical coat, buttoned all down the front, with the pockets low down
on either side. And I'll never forget his face. That's a wonderful
picture. It's life-like."

"What an extraordinary thing!" said I. Then I turned to Vandy. "Has this
portrait ever been reproduced?"

He did not seem to hear me.

With dropped jaw and bulging eyes, the fellow was staring at Adele,
staring....

Suddenly, as with an effort, he pulled himself together.

"Was that all you saw?" he said hoarsely.

Adele pondered.

"I think so," she said slowly. "Except that there were some words carved
on the pedestal. PER ... IMP ... PERIMP, ... No. That wasn't it.
Some