was far too exalted to be much depressed by this counsel's
opinion; and had, indeed, several minutes of delightful meditation on
the crass complacency of a clever man when taken off his ground. It
was deplorable, he said to himself, that men should be so content with
their limitations. But it was always the way, he reflected. To be a
specialist in one point involved the pruning of all growth on every
other. Here was Morton, almost in the front rank of his particular
subject, and, besides, very far from being a bookworm; yet, when taken
an inch out of his rut, he could do nothing but flounder. He wondered
what Morton would make of these things if he saw them himself.

In the course of the afternoon Morton himself turned up again. The
case had ended unexpectedly soon. Laurie waited till the closing of
the shutters offered an opportunity for a break in the work, and once
more returned to the charge.

"Morton," he said, "I wish you'd come with me one day."

The other looked up.

"Eh?"

"To see for yourself what I told you."

Mr. Morton snorted abruptly.

"Lord!" he said, "I thought we'd done with that. No, thank you:
Egyptian Hall's all I need."

Laurie sighed elaborately.

"Oh! of course, if you won't face facts, one can't expect...."

"Look here, Baxter," said the other almost kindly, "I advise you to
give this up. It plays the very devil with nerves, as I told you. Why,
you're as jumpy as a cat yourself. And it isn't worth it. If there was
anything in it, why it would be another thing; but...."

"I ... I wouldn't give it up for all the world," stammered Laurie in
his zeal. "You simply don't know what you're talking about. Why ...
why, I'm not a fool ... I know that. And do you think I'm ass enough
to be taken in by a trick? And as if a trick could be played like that
in a drawing-room! I tell you I examined every inch...."

"Look here," said Morton, looking curiously at the boy--for there was
something rather impressive about Laurie's manner--"look here; you'd
better see old Cathcart. Know him...? Well, I'll introduce you any
time. He'll tell you another tale. Of course, I don't believe all the
rot he talks; but, at any rate, he's sensible enough to have given it
all up. Says he wouldn't touch it with a pole. And he was rather a big
bug at it in his time, I believe."

Laurie sneered audibly.

"Got frightened, I suppose," he said. "Of course, I know well enough
that it's rather startling--"

"My dear m