ocket. I was sitting in the Savoy lounge when in came a
man whom I knew at once by sight, but I couldn't place his name on him.
We had drinks together in the American bar, then we went upstairs to the
lounge. He would not tell me who he was. 'Look in the looking-glass
behind you,' said he, 'and you will see who I am.' I looked and I saw
him. I was his twin image. I must tell you first that I had been having
some champagne cocktails and a whisky and soda. I'm not used to drink.
We had a jamboree together and dinner at some place, and then he sent
me home as himself--I was blind.

"When I woke up next morning I said nothing but lay low, thinking it was
all a joke. I ought to have spoken at once, but didn't, one makes
mistakes in life--"

"We all do that," said the other; "yes--go on."

"And later that day I opened a newspaper and saw my name and that I had
committed suicide. It was Rochester, of course, that had committed
suicide; did it on the underground.--Then I was in a nice fix. There I
was in Rochester's clothes, with not a penny in my pockets; couldn't go
to the hotel, couldn't go anywhere--so I determined to be Rochester, for
a while, at least.

"I found his affairs in an awful muddle. You know that business about
the coal mine. Well, I've managed to right his affairs. I wasn't
thinking of any profit to myself over the business, I just did it
because it was the right thing to do.

"Now I want to be perfectly plain with you. I might have carried on this
game always and lived in Rochester's shoes only for two things, one is
his wife, the other is a feeling that has been coming on me that if I
carried on any longer I might go dotty. Times I've had attacks of a
feeling that I did not know who I was. It's leading this double life,
you know. Now I want to get right back and be myself and cut clear of
all this. You can't think what it has been, carrying on this double
life, hearing the servants calling me 'your lordship.' I couldn't have
imagined it would have acted on the brain so. I've been simply crazy to
hear someone calling me by my right name--well, that's the end of the
matter, I want to settle up and get back to the States--"

The door opened and a servant appeared.

"Dr. Simms has arrived, your grace."

The Duke of Melford rose from his chair.

"One moment," said he to Jones. He left the room closing the door.

Jones tipped the ash of his cigar into a jardiniere near by.

He was astonished and a bit