ee what I--"

"Oh yes," chirped the old gentleman almost gaily. "It would be quite
unusual and unconventional. I just ask you to send him a line--I will
take it myself, if you wish it--telling him that you think it would be
better for him not to come, and saying that you are making other
arrangements for tonight."

He looked at her with that odd little air of birdlike briskness that
she had noticed in the street; and it pleasantly affected her even in
the midst of the uneasiness that now surged upon her again tenfold
more than before. She could see that there was something else behind
his manner; it had just looked out in the glance he had given round
the room on entering; but she could not trouble at this moment to
analyze what it was. She was completely bewildered by the strangeness
of the encounter, and the extraordinary coincidence of this man's
judgment with her own. Yet there were a hundred reasons against her
taking his advice. What would the others say? What of all the
arrangements ... the expectation...?

"I don't see how it's possible now," she began. "I think I know what
you mean. But--"

"Indeed, I trust you have no idea," cried the old gentleman, with a
queer little falsetto note coming into his voice--"no idea at all. I
come to you merely on the plea of nervous excitement; it is injuring
his health, Lady Laura."

She looked at him curiously.

"But--" she began.

"Oh, I will go further," he said. "Have you never heard of--of
insanity in connection with all this? We will call it insanity, if you
wish."

For a moment her heart stood still. The word had a sinister sound, in
view of an incident she had once witnessed; but it seemed to her that
some meaning behind, unknown to her, was still more sinister. Why had
he said that it might be "called insanity" only...?

"Yes.... I--I have once seen a case," she stammered.

"Well," said the old gentleman, "is it not enough when I tell you that
I--I who was a spiritualist for ten years--have never seen a more
dangerous subject than Mr. Baxter? Is the risk worth it...? Lady
Laura, do you quite understand what you are doing?"

He leaned forward a little; and again she felt anxiety, sickening and
horrible, surge within her. Yet, on the other hand....

The door opened suddenly, and Mr. Vincent came in.

III

There was silence for a moment; then the old gentleman turned round,
and in an instant was on his feet, quiet, but with an air of bristling
about