through choking a sudden shout of
laughter.

"Why, you great donkey," he shouted, in an ear-shattering whisper,
"that's not one of the patients at all. That's one of the doctors."

Evan looked back at the leering head with the long-pointed beard and
repeated the word inquiringly: "One of the doctors?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," said Turnbull, impatiently. "The medical
authorities of the place."

Evan was still staring back curiously at the beaming and bearded
creature behind him.

"The mad doctors," said Turnbull, shortly.

"Quite so," said MacIan.

After a rather restless silence Turnbull plucked MacIan by the elbow and
pulled him aside.

"For goodness sake," he said, "don't offend this fellow; he may be as
mad as ten hatters, if you like, but he has us between his finger
and thumb. This is the very time he appointed to talk with us about
our--well, our exeat."

"But what can it matter?" asked the wondering MacIan. "He can't keep us
in the asylum. We're not mad."

"Jackass!" said Turnbull, heartily, "of course we're not mad. Of course,
if we are medically examined and the thing is thrashed out, they will
find we are not mad. But don't you see that if the thing is thrashed out
it will mean letters to this reference and telegrams to that; and at the
first word of who we are, we shall be taken out of a madhouse, where
we may smoke, to a jail, where we mayn't. No, if we manage this very
quietly, he may merely let us out at the front door as stray revellers.
If there's half an hour of inquiry, we are cooked."

MacIan looked at the grass frowningly for a few seconds, and then said
in a new, small and childish voice: "I am awfully stupid, Mr. Turnbull;
you must be patient with me."

Turnbull caught Evan's elbow again with quite another gesture. "Come,"
he cried, with the harsh voice of one who hides emotion, "come and let
us be tactful in chorus."

The doctor with the pointed beard was already slanting it forward at a
more than usually acute angle, with the smile that expressed expectancy.

"I hope I do not hurry you, gentlemen," he said, with the faintest
suggestion of a sneer at their hurried consultation, "but I believe you
wanted to see me at half past eleven."

"I am most awfully sorry, Doctor," said Turnbull, with ready amiability;
"I never meant to keep you waiting; but the silly accident that has
landed us in your garden may have some rather serious consequences to
our friends elsewhere, and my f