"TherewereSimlareasons，certainly，"hereplied。"ButyouthinkIcamehereforsolitude!SOLITUDE!"herepeated，withalaugh。

"Why，Iholddailyconversationswithanyblessedthinginthishouse，fromtheverandatothechimney—stack，withanystickoffurniture，fromthefootstooltothetowel—horse。IgetmoreoutofitthanthegabbleattheClub。Youlooksurprised。Listen!I

tookthisthingupinmyleisurehoursintheDepartment。Ihadreadmuchabouttheconversationofanimals。Iarguedthatifanimalsconversed，whyshouldn’tinanimatethingscommunicatewitheachother？Youcannotprovethatanimalsdon’tconverse——neithercanyouprovethatinanimateobjectsDONOT。See？"

Iwasthunderstruckwiththeforceofhislogic。

"Ofcourse，"hecontinued，"therearedegreesofintelligence，andthatmakesitdifficult。Forinstance，amahoganytablewouldnottalklikearush—bottomedkitchenchair。"Hestoppedsuddenly，listened，andreplied，"Ireallycouldn’tsay。"

"Ididn’tspeak，"Isaid。

"IknowYOUdidn’t。Butyourchairaskedme’howlongthatfoolwasgoingtostay。’Irepliedasyouheard。Praydon’tmove——I

intendtochangethatchairforonemoreaccustomedtopolitesociety。Tocontinue：Iperfectedmyselfinthelanguage，anditwasawfullyjollyatfirst。WheneverIwentbytrain，Iheardnotonlyalltheenginessaid，butwhateveryblessedcarriagethought，thatjoinedintheconversation。Ifyouchapsonlyknewwhatrotthosewhistlescangetoff!Andasforthebrakes，theycanbeatanymuledriverincursing。Then，afteratime，itgotrathermonotonous，andItookashortseatripformyhealth。But，byJove，everyblessedinchofthewholeship——fromthescrewtothebowsprit——hadsomethingtosay，andthebadlanguageusedbythegarboardstrakewhentheshiprolledwassomethingtooawful!Youdon’thappentoknowwhatthegarboardstrakeis，doyou？"

"No，"Ireplied。

"NomoredoI。That’sthedreadfulthingaboutit。You’vegottolistentochapsthatyoudon’tknow。Why，cominghomeonmybicycletheotherdaytherewasanawfulrowbetweensomeinfernal’sprocket’andthe’ballbearings’ofthemachine，andIneverknewbeforethereweresuchthingsinthewholeconcern。

IthoughtIhadgotathissecret，andsaidcarelessly："ThenI

supposethiswasthereasonwhyyoubrokeoffyourengagementwithMissMillikens？"

"Notatall，"hesaidcoolly。"Nothingtodowithit。Thatisquiteanotheraffair。It’saveryqueerstory；wouldyouliketohearit？"

"Byallmeans。"Itookoutmynotebook。

"YourememberthatnightoftheAmateurTheatricals，gotupbytheWhiteHussars，whenthelightssuddenlywentoutalloverthehouse？"

"Yes，"Ireplied，"Iheardaboutit。"

"Well，IhadgonedowntherethateveningwiththedeterminationofproposingtoMaryMillikensthefirstchancethatoffered。Shesatjustinfrontofme，hersisterJanenext，andhermother，smartWidowMillikens，——whowasabitlarkyonherownaccount，youremember，——thenextonthebench。Whenthelightswentoutandthepanicandtitteringbegan，Isawmychance!Ileanedforward，andinavoicethatwouldjustreachMary’searIsaid，’Ihavelongwishedtotellyouhowmylifeisboundupwithyou，dear，andI

never，nevercanbehappywithoutyou’——whenjustthentherewasamightybigshovedownmybenchfromthefellowsbeyondme，whoweretryingtogetout。ButIheldonlikegrimdeath，andstruggledbackagainintoposition，andwenton：’You’llforgivemytakingachancelikethis，butIfeltIcouldnolongerconcealmyloveforyou，’whenI’mblestiftherewasn’tanothershove，andthoughI’dgotholdofherlittlehandandhadakindofsqueezeinreturn，I

wasdriftedawayagainandhadtofightmywayback。ButImanagedtofinish，andsaid，’Ifthedevotionofalifetimewillatoneforthishurriedavowalofmyloveforyou，letmehopeforaresponse，’andjustthentheinfernallightswereturnedon，andthereIwasholdingthewidow’shandandshenestlingonmyshoulder，andthetwogirlsinhystericsontheotherside。Yousee，Ineverknewthattheywereshoveddownontheirbencheverytime，justasIwas，andofcoursewhenIgotbacktowhereIwasI’djustskippedoneofthemeachtime!Yes，sir!IhadmadethatproposalinTHREEsections——aparttoeachgirl，windingupwiththemother!Noexplanationwaspossible，andIleftSimlanextday。Naturally，itwasn’tathingtheycouldtalkabout，either!"

"ThenyouthinkMrs。Awksbyhadnothingtodowithit？"Isaid。

"Nothing——absolutelynothing。Bytheway，ifyouseethatlady，youmighttellherthatIhavepossessionofthatbrocadeeasy—

chairwhichusedtostandinthecornerofherboudoir。Yourememberit，——fadedwhiteandyellow，withoneofthecastersoffandalittlefrayedattheback，butrathersoft—spokenandamiable？Butofcourseyoudon’tunderstandTHAT。Iboughtitaftershemovedintohernewbungalow。"

"ButwhyshouldItellherthat？"Iaskedinwonder。

"Nothing——exceptthatIfinditveryamusingwithitsreminiscencesofthecompanysheusedtoentertain，andherconfidencesgenerally。Good—by——takecareofthelioninthehall。Healwayscouchesontheleftforaspring。Ta—ta!"

Ihurriedaway。WhenIreturnedtoSimlaItoldMrs。Awksbyofmydiscoveries，andspokeofthearmchair。

Ifanciedshecoloredslightly，butquicklyrecovered。

"DearoldSparkley，"shesaidsweetly；"heWASachampionliar!"

II。

APRIVATE’SHONOR

IhadnotseenMulledwineyforseveraldays。Knowingtheman——thislookedbad。SoIdroppedinontheColonel。Ifoundhimindeepthought。Thislookedbad，too，foroldCockeyWax——ashewasknowntoeverybodyintheHilldistrictsbuthimself——wasn’tgiventothinking。Iguessedthecauseandtoldhimso。

"Yes，"hesaidwearily，"youareright!It’stheoldstory。

Mulledwiney，Bleareyed，andOtherwiseareatitagain，——drinkfollowedbyClink。EvennowtwocorporalsandaprivatearesittingonMulledwiney’sheadtokeephimquiet，andBleareyedischainedtoanelephant。"

"Perhaps，"Isuggested，"youareunnecessarilysevere。"

"Doyoureallythinkso？Thankyousomuch!Iamalwaysgladtohaveacivilian’sopiniononmilitarymatters——andviceversa——itbroadensoneso!Andyet——amIsevere？Iamwilling，forinstance，tooverlooktheirraiduponanativevillage，andtheransomtheydemandedforanativeinspector!Ihaveoverlookedtheirtakingthehorsesoutofmycarriagefortheirownuse。Iamcontentalsotobelievethatmyfowlsmeeklysuccumbtojunglefeverandcholera。ButtherearesomethingsIcannotignore。ThecarryingoffofthegreatgodVishnufromtheSacredShrineatDucidbadbyTheThreeforthesakeofthepricelessopalsinitseyes"——

"ButIneverheardofTHAT，"Iinterruptedeagerly。"Tellme。"

"Ah!"saidtheColonelplayfully，"that——asyousooftenandsoamusinglysay——is’AnotherStory’!YetIwouldhaveoverlookedthetheftoftheopalsiftheyhadnotsubstitutedtwooftheQueen’sregimentalbuttonsfortheeyesofthegod。This，whileitdidnotdeceivetheignorantpriests，hadadeeppoliticalandracialsignificance。Youareaware，ofcourse，thatthegreatmutinywasoccasionedbytheissueofcartridgestothenativetroopsgreasedwithhog’sfat——forbiddenbytheirreligion。"

"Butthesethreemencouldthemselvesalonequellamutiny，"I

replied。

TheColonelgraspedmyhandwarmly。"Thankyou。Sotheycould。I

neverthoughtofthat。"Helookedrelieved。Forallthat，hepresentlypassedhishandoverhisforeheadandnervouslychewedhischeroot。

"Thereissomethingelse，"Isaid。

"Youareright。Thereis。Itisasecret。Promisemeitshallgonofurther——thanthePress？Nay，swearthatyouwillKEEPitforthePress!"

"Ipromise。"

"ThankyouSOmuch。ItisamatterofmyownandMulledwiney’s。

Thefactis，wehavehadaPERSONALdifficulty。"Hepaused，glancedaroundhim，andcontinuedinalow，agitatedvoice：

"YesterdayIcameuponhimashewassittingleaningagainstthebarrackwall。Inaspiritofplayfulness——mereplayfulness，I

assureyou，sir——Ipokedhimlightlyintheshoulderwithmystick，saying’Boo!’Heturned——andIshallneverforgetthelookhegaveme。"

"Goodheavens!"Igasped，"youtouched——absolutelyTOUCHED——

Mulledwiney？"

"Yes，"hesaidhurriedly，"Iknewwhatyouwouldsay；itwasagainsttheQueen’sRegulations——and——therewashissensitivenaturewhichshrinksfromevenaharshword；butIdidit，andofcoursehehasmeinhispower。"

"Andyouhavetouchedhim？"Irepeated，——"touchedhisprivatehonor!"

"Yes!ButIshallatoneforit!Ihavealreadyarrangedwithhimthatweshallhaveitoutbetweenourselvesalone，inthejungle，strippedtothebuff，withourfists——Queensberryrules!Ihaven’tfoughtsinceIstoodupagainstSpinksMajor——yourememberoldSpinks，nowoftheBombayOffensibles？——atEton。"Andtheoldboypluckilybaredhisskinnyarm。

"Itmaybeserious，"Isaid。

"Ihavethoughtofthat。Ihaveawife，severalchildren，andanagedparentinEngland。IfIfall，theymustneverknow。Youmustinventastoryforthem。Ihavethoughtofcholera，butthatisplayedout；youknowwehavealreadytrieditonTheBoywhowasThrownAway。Inventsomethingquiet，peaceableandrespectable——asfarremovedfromfightingaspossible。Whatdoyousaytomeasles？"

"Nothalfbad，"Ireturned。

"Measlesletitbe，then!SayIcaughtitfromWeeWillieWinkie。

Youdonotthinkittooincredible？"headdedtimidly。

"NotmorethanYOURstory，"Isaid。

Hegraspedmyhand，strugglingviolentlywithhisemotion。Thenhestruggledwithme——andIlefthurriedly。Pooroldboy!Thefuneralwaswellattended，however，andnooneknewthetruth，notevenmyself。

III

JUNGLEFOLK

Itwashighnoonofawarmsummer’sdaywhenMooKowcamedowntothewatering—place。Miaow，otherwiseknownas"Puskat"——thewarmth—lovingone——wascrouchingonalimbthatoverhungthepool，sunningherself。BrerRabbit——butthatisAnotherStorybyAnotherPerson。

ThreeorfourGeeGees，alreadyatthepool，movedawayontheapproachofMooKow。

"Whydoyestandaside？"saidtheMooKow。

"Whydoyousay’ye’？"saidtheGeeGeestogether。

"Becauseit’smoreimpressivethan’you。’Don’tyouknowthatallanimalstalkthatwayinEnglish？"saidtheMooKow。

"Andtheyalsosay’thou，’anddon’tyouforgetit!"interruptedMiaowfromthetree。"IlearntthatfromaManCub。"

Theanimalsweresilent。TheydidnotlikeMiaow’sslang，andwerejealousofheroccasionallysittingonaManCub’slap。OnceDun—

kee，apoorrelationoftheGeeGees，hadtriediton，disastrously——butthatisalsoAnotherandamoreAgedStory。

"WeareriddenbyTheEnglish——pleasetoobservetheCapitalletters，"saidPiBol，theleaderoftheGeeGees，proudly。"Theyareamightyracewhorideanythingandeverybody。D’yemindthat——

Imean，lookyewelltoit!"

"WhatshouldtheyknowofEnglandwhoonlyEnglandknow？"saidMiaow。

"Isthataconundrum？"askedtheMooKow。

"No；it’spoetry，"saidtheMiaow。

"IknowEngland，"saidPiBolprancingly。"IusedtogofromtheBanktoIslingtonthreetimesaday——Imean，"headdedhurriedly，"beforeIbecameascrew——Ishouldsay，ascrew—gunhorse。"

"AndI，"saidtheMooKow，"amterrible。Whentheyoungwomenandchildreninthevillageseemeapproachtheyflyshriekingly。Mypresencealonehasscatteredtheirsacredfestival——TheSundesKoolPiknik。Istriketerrortotheirinmostsouls，andammorefearedbythemthanevenKreep—mows，theinsidious!Andyet，behold!I

havetakentheplaceofthemothersofmen，andIhavenourishedthemightyonesoftheearth!Butthat，"saidtheMooKow，turningherheadasidebashfully，"thatisAnudderStory。"

Adeadsilencefellonthepool。

"AndI，"saidMiaow，liftinguphervoice，"Iamthehorrorandhaunterofthenightseason。WhenIpasslikethenightwindovertheroofsofthehousesmenshudderintheirbedsandtremble。

WhentheyhearmyvoiceasIcreepstealthilyalongtheirbalconiestheycrytotheirgodsforsuccor。Theyarise，andfromtheirwindowstheyoffermetheirpricelesshouseholdtreasures——thesacredvesselsdedicatedtotheirgreatgodShiv——whichtheycall’ShivinMugs’——theKloesBrosh，theBoo—jak，urgingmetoflythem!

Andyet，"saidMiaowmournfully，"itisbutmylove—song!ThinkyewhattheywoulddoifIwereonthewar—path。"

Anotherdeadsilencefellonthepool。Thenarosethatstrange，mysterious，indefinableThing，knownas"TheScent。"Theanimalssniffed。

"ItheraldstheapproachoftheStalkies——themostfamousofBritishSkoolBoaz，"saidtheMooKow。"Theyhavejustplacedadecayingguinea—pig，twowhitemiceinanadvancedstateofdecomposition，andasinglesliceofLimburgercheeseinthebedoftheirtutor。Theyhadpreviouslyskillfullydivertedthedrainssothattheyemptiedintothedrawing—roomofthehead—master。Theyhavejustburneddownhishouseinanaccessofnoblezeal，andarefightingamongthemselvesforthespoil。Hark!doyehearthem？"

Awildmedleyofshrieksandhowlshadarisen，andanirregularmobofstrangecreaturessweptoutofthedistancetowardthepool。

Somewerelikepygmies，somehadbloodynoses。Theirtalkconsistedoffeverish，breathlessejaculations，——agibberishinwhichthewords"rot，""oach，"and"giddy"werepreeminent。Somewereexcitingthemselvesbychewingakindof"bhang"madefromtheplantcalledpappahmint；othershadtheirfacesstreakedwithdjam。

"Butwhoisthistheyareduckinginthepool？"askedPiBol。

"Itisonewhohasfoolishlyandwantonlyconceivedthathisparentshavesenthimheretostudy，"saidtheMooKow；"butthatisagainsttherulesoftheStalkies，whoacceptstudyonlyasapunishment。"

"Thenthesebesurelythe’BanderLog’——themonkeyfolk——ofwhomthegoodRhuddyiddhastoldus，"saidaGeeGee——"theoneswhohavenopurpose——andforgeteverything。"

"Fool!"saidtheMooKow。"KnowyenotthatthegreatRhuddyiddhassaidthattheStalkiesbecomeMajor—Generals，V。C。’s，andC。

B’softheEnglish？Truly，theyaregreat。Looknow；yeshallseeoneofthegreatesttraitsoftheEnglishStalky。"

OneofthepygmyStalkieswasofferingabuntoalargerone，whohesitated，buttookitcoldly。

"Behold!itisoneofthegreatesttraitsofthismightyracenottoshowanyemotion。HeWOULDtakethebun——heHAStakenit!Heispleased——buthemaynotshowit。Observehimeat。"

ThetallerStalky，aftereatingthebun，quietlykickedthegiver，knockedoffhishat，andturnedawaywithacalm，immovableface。

"Good!"saidtheMooKow。"Yewouldnotdreamthathewasabsolutelychokingwithgratefulemotion？"

"Wewouldnot，"saidtheanimals。

"Butwhyaretheyallrunningbackthewaytheycame？"askedPiBol。

"Theyaregoingbacktopunishment。Greatisitspower。HaveyenotheardthegospelofRhuddyiddthemighty？’Forceiseverything!Gentlenesswon’twash，courtesyisdeceitful。

Politenessisforeign。Beyebeatenthatyemaybeat。Passthekickon。’"

Butherehewasinterruptedbytheappearanceofthreesoldierswhowereapproachingthewatering—place。

"Yearenow，"saidtheMooKow，"withthemainguard。ThefirstisBleareyed，whocarriesaraveninacage，whichhehasstolenfromthewifeofadeputycommissioner。Hewillpaintthebirdsnowwhiteandsellitasadovetothesamelady。ThesecondisOtherwise，whoisdraggingasmallgardenengine，ofwhichhehasdespoiledanativegardener，whomhehasfelledwithasingleblow。

ThethirdisMulledwiney，swingingacut—glassdecanterofsherrywhichhehasjustsnatchedfromthetableofhiscolonel。

MulledwineyandOtherwisewillplaytheengineuponBleareyed，whoissufferingfromheatapoplexyanddjim—djams。"

Thethreesoldiersseatedthemselvesinthepool。

"Theyaregoingtotellawfulwarstoriesnow，"saidtheMooKow，"storiesthatarelargeandstrong!Somepeopleareshocked——

otherslike’em。"

ThenhethatwascalledMulledwineytoldastory。InthemiddleofitMiaowgotupfromthelimbofthetree，coughedslightly，andputherpawdelicatelyoverhermouth。"Youmustexcuseme，"shesaidfaintly。"Iamtakenthiswaysometimes——andIhaveleftmysaltsathome。Thanks!Icangetdownmyself!"Thenextmomentshehaddisappeared，butwasheardcoughinginthedistance。

Mulledwineywinkedathiscompanionsandcontinuedhisstory：——

"Widthatweworinthethickavthefoight。WhinIsay’thick’I

maneit，sorr!Weworthatjammedtogether，divilabitcudweshootorcut!Atfur—rest，Ihadlashedtwomushkitstogetherwidthebaynitsoutso，likeahayfork，andgettingthehaymaker’sliftonthim，IjustliftedtwoPaythiansout——oneanaychbaynit——

andpassed’em，aisy—like，overmeheadtotherearrankforthemtofinish。Butwhatwidthebludgettin’intomeois，Iwasblinded，andthepressurekeptincraysin’untilmearrumswasthrussedlikeafowltomesides，andsorraabitcudImovebutmejaws!"

"Andbloomin’wellyouknewhowtousethem，"saidOtherwise。

"Thrueforyou——thoughyedon’tmaneit!"saidMulledwiney，playfullytappingOtherwiseontheheadwithadecantertillthecutglassslowlyshivered。"So，begorra!therewornothingleftformetodobuttoATEthim!Wirra!butitwasthecrooelworruk。"

"Excuseme，mylord，"interruptedthegaspingvoiceofPiBolashebegantobackfromthepool，"Iambutahorse，Iknow，andbeingbuiltinthatway——naturallyhavethestomachofone——yet，really，mylord，this——er"——Andhisvoicewasgone。

Thenextmomenthehaddisappeared。Mulledwineylookedaroundwithaffectedconcern。

"Saveus!Butwe’vecleanedouttheJungle!Sure，there’snotabasteleftbutourselves!"

Itwastrue。Thewatering—placewasempty。MooKow，Miaow，andtheGeeGeeshaddisappeared。Presentlytherewasaboomingcrashandalong，deeprumblingamongthedistanthills。ThentheyknewtheywereneartheoldMoulmeinPagoda，andthedawnhadcomeuplikethunderoutofChina’crossthebay。Italwayscameupthatwaythere。Thestrainwastoogreat，anddaywasactuallybreaking。

"ZUT—SKI"

THEPROBLEMOFAWICKEDFEMESOLE

BYM——R——EC——R——LLI

I

Thegreatpyramidtoweredupfromthedesertwithitsapextowardthemoonwhichhunginthesky。Forcenturiesithadstoodthus，disdainingtheaidofgodsorman，being，astheSphinxherselfobserved，abletostandupforitself。Andthiswasnosmallpraisefromthatsublimeyetmysteriousfemalewhohadseentheagescomeandgo，empiresriseandfall，novelistsucceednovelist，andwho，foreonsandcyclesthecynosureandcentreofadmirationandmen’sidolatrousworship，hadyet——wonderfulforawoman——

throughitallkeptherhead，whichnowaloneremainedtosurveycalmlythepresent。Indeed，atthatmomentthatmagnificentandpeacefulfaceseemedtohavelost——withafewunimportantfeatures——

itsusualexpressionofspeculativewisdomandintensedisdain；

itsmouthsmiled，itslefteyelidseemedtodroop。Astheopaltintsofdawndeepeneduponit，theeyelidseemedtodrooplower，closed，andquicklyrecovereditselftwice。YouwouldhavethoughttheSphinxhadwinked。

Thenaroseavoicelikeawindonthedesert，——butreallyfromthedirectionoftheNile，whereahireddahabiyehlaymooredtothebank，——"’ArryAxes!’ArryAxes!"Withitcamealsoaflapping，trailingvisionfromthewater——thesacredIbisitself——andwithwingsaslantdriftedmournfullyawaytoitsowncreakingecho：

"K’raksis!K’raksis!"Againarosetheweirdvoice："’ArryAxes!

Wotcherdoin’of？"AndagaintheIbiscroakeditswildrefrain：

"K’raksis!K’raksis!"Moonlightandthehourwovetheirownmystery（forwhichtheauthorisnotresponsible），andthevoicewasheardnomore。Butwhenthefulldaysprangingloryoverthedesert，itilluminatedthefewremainingbutsufficientlylargefeaturesoftheSphinxwithaburningsaffronradiance!TheSphinxhadindeedblushed!

II

ItwasthefullseasonatCairo。ThewealthandfashionofBayswater，SouthKensington，andeventheboskyWoodoftheEvangelisthadsenttheirlatestluxuryandstyletofloutthetombsofthepastwiththeghastlyflippancyofto—day。Thecheaptripperwasthere——thelatestexampleoftheDarwiniantheory——

apelike，fleaandcuriohunting!Shamelesslyinquisitiveandalwayshungry，whatdidheknowoftheSphinxorthepyramidsorthevoice——and，forthematterofthat，whatdidtheyknowofhim？

Andyethewasnothalfbadincomparisonwiththe"swaggerpeople，"——thesepeoplewhopretendtohavelungsandwhatnot，andinsteadofgallopingonmerryhuntersthroughthefrostandsnowofPiccadillyandPark，insteadofenjoyingtheroaringfiresofpiledlogsintheevening，atthefirstapproachofwinterstealawaytotheLandoftheSun，anddeclinetodie，likehonestBritons，onBritishsoil。AndthentheyknownothingoftheEgyptiansandarehorrifiedat"bakshish，"whichtheyreallyoughttopayfortheprivilegeofshockingthestraight—limbed，naked—footedArabinhissingleroughgarmentwiththeirbaggyelephant—leggedtrousers!

Andtheyknownothingofthemysticlandoftheoldgods，filledwithprofoundenigmasofthesupernatural，darksecretsyetunexploredexceptinthisbook。WellmightthegreatMemnonmurmurafterthislapseofthesethousandyears，"They’remakingmetired!"

Suchwastheblissful，self—satisfiedignoranceofSirMidasPyle，orasLordFitz—Fulke，withhisdelightfulimitationoftheEastLondonaccent，calledhim，Sir"MydeHisPyle，"asheleanedbackonhisdivanintheGrandCairoHotel。HewasthevulgareditorandproprietorofavulgarLondonnewspaper，andhadbroughthiswifewithhim，whowasvainlytryingtomarryoffhisfadeddaughters。Therewastobeafancy—dressballatthehotelthatnight，andLadyPylehopedthathergirls，ifproperlydisguised，mighthaveabetterchance。Here，too，wasLadyFitz—Fulke，whosemotherwasimmortalizedbyByron——sixtyifaday，yetstilldressingyouthfully——whohadsoughtthelandoftheSphinxinthefainthopethatinthecontiguityofthatladyshemightpassforbeingyoung。AlasterMcFeckless，asplendidyoungScotchman，——

alreadydressedasaFlorentinesailorofthefifteenthcentury，whichenabledhimtoshowhismagnificentcalvesquiteaswellasinhisnativehighlanddress，andwhohadaddedwithcharacteristicnobleprideasporrantohiscostume，waslollingonanotherdivan。

"Oh，thoseexquisite，thosemagnificenteyesofhers!Eh，sirs!"

hemurmuredsuddenly，aswakingfromadream。

"Oh，damnhereyes!"saidLordFitz—Fulkelanguidly。"Tellyouwhat，oldman，you’rejustgoneonthatgirl!"

"Ha!"roaredMeFeckless，springingtohisfeet，"yewillbeusingsuchlanguageofthebonniest"——

"Youwillexcuseme，gentlemen，"saidSirMidas，——whohatedscenesunlesshehadatrustedreporterwithhim，——"butIthinkitistimeformetogoupstairsandputonmyWindsoruniform，whichIfindexceedinglyconvenientforthesemixedassemblies。"Hewithdrew，caressinghisprotuberantpaunchwithsomedignity，asthetwomenglancedfiercelyateachother。

Inanothermomenttheymighthavesprungateachother’sthroats。

Butluckilyatthisinstantacurtainwaspushedasideasifbysomewaitinglistener，andathinmanentered，dressedincapandgown，——whichwouldhavebeensimplyacademicbutforhiscarryinginonehandbehindhimabundleofbirchtwigs。ItwasDr。HaustusPilgrim，anotedLondonpractitionerandspecialist，dressedas"YeOlde—fashionedPedagogue。"HewaspresumablyspendinghisholidayontheNileinalargedahabiyehwithanumberoffriends，amongwhomhecountedthetwomomentaryantagonistshehadjustinterrupted；butthosewhoknewthedoctor’sfar—reachingknowledgeandcrypticresearchesbelievedhehadhisownscientificmotives。

Thetwomenturnedquicklyasheentered；theangrylightfadedfromtheireyes，andanawedandrespectfulsubmissiontotheintrudertookitsplace。Hewalkedquietlytowardthem，putalozengeinthemouthofoneandfeltthepulseoftheother，gazingcriticallyatboth。

"Wewillbeallrightinamoment，"hesaidwithprofessionalconfidence。

"Isay!"saidFitz—Fulke，gazingatthedoctor’scostume，"youlookdoocedsmartinthosetogs，don’tcherknow。"

"Theysuitme，"saidthedoctor，withaplayfulswishofhisbirchtwigs，atwhichthetwogravemenshuddered。"Butyouwerespeakingofsomebody’sbeautifuleyes。"

"ThePrincessZut—Ski’s，"returnedMcFecklesseagerly；"andthisdaftcallantsaid"——

"Hedidn’tlikethem，"putinFitz—Fulkepromptly。

"Ha!"saidthedoctorsharply，"andwhynot，sir？"AsFitz—Fulkehesitated，headdedbrusquely："There!Runawayandplay!I’vebusinesswiththisyoungman，"pointingtoMcFeckless。

AsFitz—Fulkeescapedgladlyfromtheroom，thedoctorturnedtoMcFeckless。"Itwon’tdo，myboy。ThePrincessisnotforyou——

you’llonlybreakyourheartandruinyourfamilyoverher!That’smyadvice。Chuckher!"

"ButIcannot，"saidMcFecklesshumbly。"Thinkofherweirdlybeautifuleyes。"

"Isee，"saidthedoctormeditatively；"sortofmakesyoufeelcreepy？Kindofall—overishness，eh？That’slikeher。Butwhomhavewehere？"

Hewasstaringatastrikingfigurethathadjustentered，closelyfollowedbyacrowdofadmiringspectators。And，indeed，heseemedworthyofthehomage。Hismagnificentformwascloselyattiredinavelveteenjacketandtrousers，withasingulardisplayofpearlbuttonsalongtheseams，thatwereabsolutelylavishintheirquantity；ahatadornedwithfeathersandrosescompletedhissingularlypicturesqueequipment。

"Chevalier!"burstoutMcFecklessinbreathlessgreeting。

"Ah，monami!Whatgoodchance？"returnedthenewcomer，rushingtohimandkissinghimonbothcheeks，totheBritishhorrorofSirMidas，whohadfollowed。"Ah，butyouareperfect!"headded，kissinghisfingersinadmirationofMcFeckless’sFlorentinedress。

"Butyou？——whatisthisravishingcostume？"askedMcFeckless，withapangofjealousy。"Youaregod—like。"

"ItisthedressofwhatyoucalltheKoster，atransplantedPheniciantribe，"answeredtheother。"Theywhoknocked’emintheroadofOldKent——knowyounotthelegend？"Ashespoke，heliftedhissuperbformtoawarrior’sheightandgesture。

"Butisthisquitecorrect？"askedFitz—Fulkeofthedoctor。

"Perfectly，"saidthedoctororacularly。"Therenowned’’ArryAxes’——Ibeghispardon，"heinterruptedhimselfhastily，"ImeantheChevalier——isperfectinhisarchaeologyandethnology。TheKosterisoriginallyaGypsy，whichisbutacorruptionoftheword’Egyptian，’and，ifImistakenot，thatgentlemanisalinealdescendant。"

"Butheiscalled’Chevalier，’andhespeakslikeaFrenchman，"

saidFluffy。

"And，beingaFrenchman，ofcourseknowsnothingoutsideofParis，"

saidSirMidas。

"WeareintheLandofMystery，"saidthedoctorgravelyinalowvoice。"YouhaveheardoftheEgyptianHallandtheTempleofMystery？"

Ashudderpassedthroughmanythatwerethere；butthemajoritywerefollowingwithwildadulationthesuperbKoster，who，withelbowsslightlyoutwardandhandsturnedinward，waspassingtowardtheballroom。McFecklessaccompaniedhimwithconflictingemotions。WouldheseetheincomparablePrincess，whowaslovelierandevenstillmoreamysterythantheChevalier？Wouldshe——

terriblethought!——succumbtohisperfections？

III

ThePrincesswasalreadythere，surroundedbyacrowdofadmirers，equalifnotsuperiortothosewhowerefollowingthesuperbChevalier。Indeed，theymetalmostasrivals!Theireyessoughteachotherinsplendidcompetition。TheChevalierturnedaway，dazzledandincoherent。"Sheisadorable，magnificent!"hegaspedtoMcFeckless。"Iloveherontheinstant!Behold，Iamtransported，ravished!Presentme。"

Indeed，asshestoodthereinastrangegauzygarmentofexquisitecolors，apparentlyshapeless，yetnowandthenrevealingherperfectfigurelikeabatherseenthroughundulatingbillows，shewaslovely。Twowandswereheldinhertaperfingers，whosemysteryonlyaddedtothegeneralcuriosity，butwhoseweirdandcabalisticusesweretobeseenlater。Hermagnificentface——

strangeinitsbeauty——wasstrangerstill，since，withperfectarchaeologicalEgyptiancorrectness，shepresenteditonlyinprofile，atwhateveranglethespectatorstood。Butsuchaprofile!ThewordsofthegreatPoet—KingrosetoMcFeckless’slips："HernoseisasatowerthatlookethtowardDamascus。"

Hehesitatedamoment，tornwithloveandjealousy，andthenpresentedhisfriend。"Youwillfallinlovewithher——andthen——

youwillfallalsobymyhand，"hehissedinhisrival’sear，andfledtumultuously。

"Voulez—vousdanser，mademoiselle？"whisperedtheChevalierintheperfectaccentoftheboulevardier。

"Merci，beaucoup，"sherepliedinthediplomaticcourtesiesoftheAmbassadeurs。

Theydancedtogether，notonce，butmanytimes，totheadmiration，thewonderandenvyofall；tothescandalizedreprobationofaproperfew。Whowasshe？Whowashe？Itwaseasytoanswerthelastquestion：theworldrangwiththereputationof"ChevaliertheArtist。"Butshewasstillamystery。

Perhapstheywerenotsotoeachother!Hewasgazingdeliriouslyintohereyes。Shewaslookingathimindisdainfulcuriosity。

"I’veseenyoubeforesomewhere，haven’tI？"shesaidatlast，withacrushingsignificance。

Heshuddered，heknewnotwhy，andpassedhishandoverhishighforehead。"Yes，Igothereveryoften，"herepliedvacantly。"Butyou，mademoiselle——you——Ihavemetbefore？"

"Oh，ages，agesago!"Therewassomethingweirdinheremphasis。

"Ha!"saidavoicenearthem，"Ithoughtso!"Itwasthedoctor，peeringatthemcuriously。"Andyoubothfeelratherdazedandcreepy？"Hesuddenlyfelttheirpulses，lingering，however，astheChevalierfancied，somewhatlongerthannecessaryoverthelady’swristandbeautifularm。HethenputasmallroundboxintheChevalier’shand，saying，"Onebeforeeachmeal，"andturningtotheladywithcaressingprofessionalaccentssaid，"Wemustwrapourselvescloselyandendeavortoinduceperspiration，"andhurriedaway，draggingtheChevalierwithhim。Whentheyreachedasecludedcorner，hesaid，"Youhadjustnowakindoffeeling，don’tyouknow，asifyou’dsortofbeentherebefore，didn’tyou？"

"Yes，whatyoucalla——preexistence，"saidtheChevalierwonderingly。

"Yes；Ihaveoftenobservedthatthosewhodoubtafuturestateofexistencehavenohesitationinacceptingapreviousone，"saidthedoctordryly。"Butcome，Iseefromthewaythecrowdarehurryingthatyourdivinity’snumberisup——Imean，"hecorrectedhimselfhastily，"thatsheisprobablydancingagain。"

"Aha!withhim，theimbecileMcFeckless？"gaspedtheChevalier。

"No，alone。"

Shewasindeedalone，inthecentreoftheballroom——withoutstretchedarmsrevolvinginanoccult，weird，dreamy，mystic，druidical，cabalisticcircle。Theynowforthefirsttimeperceivedthemeaningofthosestrangewandswhichappearedtobeattachedtothemanyfoldsofherdiaphanousskirtsandinvolvedherinafleecy，whirlingcloud。Yetinthewildconvolutionsofhergarmentsandthemadgyrationsofherfigure，herfacewasupturnedwiththeseraphicintensityofadevotee，andherlipspartedaswiththeimpassionedappealfor"Light!morelight!"Andtheappealwasanswered。Afloodofblue，crimson，yellow，andgreenradiancewasalternatelypoureduponherfromtheblackboxofamysteriousNubianslaveinthegallery。Theeffectwasmarvelous；atonemomentsheappearedasamartyrinasheetofflame，atanotherasanangelwrappedinwhiteandmuffledpurity，andagainasanymphoftheceruleansea，andthensuddenlyacloudofdarknessseemedtodescenduponher，throughwhichforaninstantherfigure，asimmaculateandperfectasamarblestatue，showeddistinctly——thenthelightwentoutandshevanished!

Thewholeassemblyburstintoarapturouscry。EventhecommonArabattendantswhowerepeepinginatthedoorsraisedtheirmelodiousnativecry，"Alloe，Fullah!Aloe，Fullah!"againandagain。

Ashockedsilencefollowed。ThenthevoiceofSirMidasPylewasheardaddressingDr。HaustusPilgrim：

"Maywenotpresume，sir，thatwhatwehavejustseenisnotunlikethatremarkableexhibitionwhenIwaspainedtomeetyouoneeveningattheAlhambra？"

Thedoctorcoughedslightly。"TheAlhambra——ah，yes!——you——er——

refer，Ipresume，toGranadaandtheLandoftheMoor，wherewelastmet。ThemusicanddancearebothdistinctlyMoorish——which，afterall，isakintotheEgyptian。Iamgratifiedindeedthatyourmemoryshouldbesoretentiveandyourarchaeologicalcomparisonsoaccurate。Butsee!theladiesareretiring。Letusfollow。"

IV

TheintoxicationproducedbytheperformanceofthePrincessnaturallyhaditsreaction。TheBritishmoralsoul，startledoutofitshypocrisythenightbefore，demandedthebitterbeerofself—consciousnessandremorsethenextmorning。Theladieswerenowopenlyshockedatwhattheyhadsecretlyenvied。LadyPylewas，however，propitiatedbythedoctor’sassurancethatthePrincesswasafriendofLadyFitz—Fulke，whohadpromisedtolendheryouthfulageandaristocraticprestigetothereturnballwhichthePrincesshaddeterminedtogiveatherownhome。"Still，I

thinkthePrincessopentocriticism，"saidSirMidasoracularly。

"Damnallcriticismandcritics!"burstoutMcFeckless，withthenoblefranknessofapassionateandyetunfetteredsoul。SirMidas，whoemployedcriticsinhisbusiness，ashedidotherbaseandignobleslaves，drewuphimselfandhispaunchandwalkedaway。

TheChevaliercastasuperblookatMcFeckless。"Voila!Regardmewell!IshallseekoutthisPrincesswhensheiswithherself!

Alone，comprenez？IshallseekheratherhotelintheEgyptianHall!Ha!ha!IshallseekZut—Ski!Zut!"AndhemadethatrapidyetgracefulmotionofhispalmagainsthisthighknownonlytothetrueParisian。

"It’sarumholewhereshelives，andnobodygetsasightofher，"

saidFlossy。"It’slikeabeastlyfamilyvault，don’tyouknow，outside，andthere’sakindofniggerdoorkeeperthatvisesyouandchucksyououtifyouhaven’tthestraighttip。I’llshowyoutheway，ifyoulike。"

"Allons，enavant!"saidtheChevaliergayly。"Iprecipitatemyselfthereontheinstant。"

"Remember!"hissedMcFeckless，graspinghisarm，"youshallaccounttome!"

"Bien!"saidtheChevalier，shakinghimofflightly。"Alla—r—r—

right。"Then，inthatincomparablebaritone，whichhadsooftenenthralledthousands，hemovedaway，trollingthefirstverseofthePrincess’sownfaint，sweet，sadsongofthe"LotusLily，"thatthrilledMcFecklesseventhroughtheChevalier’smarkedFrenchaccent：——

"Oh，ahardzingtogetiszeLotusLillee!

Shelifinzeswamp——inzewatairchillee；

Shemakeyourfootwet——andyoulooksosillee，ButyoubuyherforsixpenceinPiccadillee!"

InhalfanhourthetwomenreachedtheremotesuburbwherethePrincesslived，agloomy，windowlessbuilding。PausingunderalowarchwayoverwhichinEgyptiancharactersappearedthefadedlegend，"StaGedOor，"theyfoundaNubianslaveblockingthedimentrance。

"Ileaveyouhere，"saidFlossyhurriedly，"asevenIleftoncebefore——onlythenIwaslightlyassistedbyhissandaledfoot，"headded，rubbinghimselfthoughtfully。"Butbetterlucktoyou。"

Ashiscompanionretreatedswiftly，theChevalierturnedtotheslaveandwouldhavepassedin，butthemanstoppedhim。"Gotapass，boss？"

"No，"saidtheChevalier。

Themanlookedathimkeenly。"Oh，Isee!oneofdeprofesh。"

TheChevaliernoddedhaughtily。Themanprecededhimbydevious，narrowwaysanddarkstaircases，comingabruptlyuponasmallapartmentwherethePrincesssatonalowdivan。Asinglelampinclosedinanominouswirecageflaredaboveher。Strangethingslayaboutthefloorandshelves，andfromanotherdoorhecouldseehideousmasks，frightfulheads，anddisproportionatefaces。Heshudderedslightly，butrecoveredhimselfandfellonhiskneesbeforeher。"Ilofeyou，"hesaidmadly。"Ihavealwayslofedyou!"

"Forhowlong？"sheasked，withastrangesmile。

Hecovertlyconsultedhisshirtcuff。"Fortreetousandfifehundredandsixty—twoyears，"hesaidrapidly。

Shelookedathimdisdainfully。"Thedoctorhasbeenputtingyouuptothat!Itwon’twash!Idon’trefertoyourshirtcuff，"sheaddedwithdeepsatire。

"Adorableone!"hebrokeoutpassionately，attemptingtoembraceher，"Ihavecometotakeyou。"Withoutmoving，shetouchedaknobinthewall。Atrap—doorbeyondhimsank，andoutofthebowelsoftheearthleapedthreeindescribabledemons。Then，rising，shetookacakeofchalkfromthetableand，drawingamystichalfcircleonthefloor，returnedtothedivan，litacigarette，andleaningcomfortablyback，saidinalow，monotonousvoice，"Advanceonefootwithinthatmagicline，andonthathead，althoughitworeacrown，IlaunchthecurseofRome。"

"I——onlywantedtotakeyou——withakodak，"hesaid，withalightlaughtoconcealhisconfusion，asheproducedtheinstrumentfromhiscoat—tailpocket。

"Notwiththatcheapbox，"shesaid，risingwithmagnificentdisdain。"Comeagainwithadecentinstrument——andperhaps"——

Then，lightlyhumminginapurecontralto，"I’vebeenphotographedlikethis——I’vebeenphotographedlikethat，"shesummonedtheslavetoconducthimback，andvanishedthroughacanvasscreen，whichneverthelessseemedtothedazedChevaliertobethestonyfrontofthepyramids。

V

"Andyousawher？"saidthedoctorinFrench。

"Yes；butthethree—thousand—yeargagdidnotwork!Shespottedyou，cherami，ontheinstant。Andshewouldn’tletmetakeherwithmykodak。"

Thedoctorlookedgrave。"Isee，"hemusedthoughtfully。"Youmusthavemycamera，alargeroneandmorebulkyperhapstocarry；butshewillnotobjecttothat，——shewhohasstoodforfulllengths。

Iwillgiveyousomeprivateinstructions。"

"But，cherdoctor，thisprevious—existenceidea——atwhatdoyouarrive？"

"Thereismuchtosayforit，"saidthedoctororacularly。"Ithassurvivedinthebeliefofallages。Whocantell？Thatsomemeninapreviousexistencemayhavebeengoatsorapes，"continuedthedoctor，lookingathimcuriously，"doesnotseemimprobable!FromthetimeofPythagoraswehaveknownthat；butthattheindividualasanindividualegohasbeenremandedorprojected，hasharkedbackoranticipatedhimself，is，wemaysay，withourpowersofapperception，——thatis，theperceptionthatweareperceiving，——

is"——

ButtheChevalierhadfled。"Nomatter，"saidthedoctor，"IwillseeMcFeckless。"Hedid。Hefoundhimgloomy，distraught，baleful。Hefelthispulse。"Themixtureasbefore，"hesaidbriefly，"andalittleinnocentdiversion。ThereisanAuntSallyontheesplanade——twothrowsforapenny。Itwilldoyougood。

Thinknomoreofthiswoman!Listen，——Iwishyouwell；yourfamilyhavealwaysbeengoodpatientsofmine。MarrysomegoodScotchgirl；Iknowonewithfiftythousandpounds。LetthePrincessgo!"

"Tohim——never!Iwillmarryher!Yet，"hemurmuredsoftlytohimself，"feeftythousandpun’isnaesmallsum。Aye!NotthatI

careforsiller——butfeeftythousandpun’!Eh，sirs!"

VI

Dr。HaustusknewthattheChevalierhadagainvisitedthePrincess，althoughhehadkeptthevisitasecret，——andindeedwashimselfinvisibleforadayortwoafterwards。Atlastthedoctor’scuriosityinducedhimtovisittheChevalier’sapartment。

Entering，hewassurprised——eveninthatLandofMystery——tofindtheroomprofoundlydark，smellingofEasterndrugs，andtheChevaliersittingbeforealargeplateofglasswhichhewasexaminingbytheaidofaluridrubylamp，——theonlylightintheweirdgloom。Hisfacewaspaleanddistraught，hislocksweredisheveled。

"Voila!"hesaid。"MonDieu!Itismythirdattempt。Alwaysthesame——hideous，monstrous，unearthly!Itisshe，andyetitisnotshe!"

Thedoctor，professionalmanashewasandinuredtosuchspectacles，wasstartled!TheplatebeforehimshowedthePrincess’sfaceinallitsbeautifulcontour，butonlydimlyveilingaghastlydeath’s—headbelow。Therewasthewholebonystructureoftheheadandtheeyelesssockets；eventhegraceful，swan—likeneckshowedthearticulatedvertebralcolumnthatsupporteditinallitshideousreality。Thebeautifulshoulderswerethere，dimlyasinadream——butbeneathwastheemptyclavicle，theknottyjoint，thehollowsternum，andtheribsofaskeletonhalflength!

Thedoctor’svoicebrokethesilence。"Myfriend，"hesaiddryly，"youseeonlythetruth!Youseewhatshereallyis，thispeerlessPrincessofyours。Youseeherassheisto—day，andyouseeherkinshiptothebonesthathavelainforcenturiesinyonderpyramid。Yettheywereonceasfairasthis，andthiswasasfairasthey——ineffectthesame!Youthathavemadly，impiouslyadoredhersuperficialbeauty，themeredustoftomorrow，letthisbeawarningtoyou!Youthathavenosoultospeakof，letthatsufficeyou!Takeherandbehappy。Adieu!"

Yet，ashepassedoutofthefittingtomblikegloomoftheapartmentanddescendedthestairs，hemurmuredtohimself："OddthatIshouldhavelenthimmycamerawiththeRontgen—rayattachmentstillon。Nomatter!ItisnotthefirsttimethatthePrincesshasappearedintwopartsthesameevening。"

VII

Inspiteofenvy，jealousy，andmalice，acertaincuriositygreaterthanallthesedreweverybodytothePrincessZut—Ski’sball。LadyFitz—Fulkewasthereinvirginwhite，lookingmoreyouthfulthanever，inspiteofhersixty—fiveyearsandthecardlabeled"FreshPaint"whichsomebodyhadplayfullyplaceduponherenameledshoulder。TheMcFecklesses，thePyles，Flossy，thedoctor，andtheChevalier——lookingstillanxious——wereinattendance。

ThemysteriousNubiandoorkeeperadmittedthegueststhroughthesamenarrowpassages，muchtothedisgustofLadyPyleandthediscomfitureofherpaunchyhusband；butonreachingalargecircularinteriorhall，agreatersurprisewasinstoreforthem。

Itwasfoundthattheonlyentrancetothebodyofthehallwasalonganarrowledgeagainstthebarewallsomedistancefromthefloor，whichobligedthegueststowalkslowly，insinglefile，alongthisprecariousstrip，givingthemtheattitudesofanEgyptianfrieze，whichwassuggestedintheoriginalplasterabovethem。Itisneedlesstosaythat，whiletheeffectwasingeniousandstrikingfromthecentreoftheroom，wherethePrincessstoodwithafewpersonalfriends，itwasexceedinglyuncomfortabletothefiguresthemselves，intheirenforcedmarchalongtheledge，——

especiallyafigureofSirMidasPyle’sproportions。Suddenlyanexclamationbrokefromthedoctor。

"Doyousee，"hesaidtothePrincess，pointingtothefigureoftheChevalier，whowasfilingalongwithhissinewyhandsslightlyturnedinward，"howsurprisinglylikeheistothefirstattendantontheKingintherealfriezeabove？Andthat，"addedthedoctor，"wasnoneotherthan’ArryAxes，theEgyptianyouarealwaysthinkingof。"Andhepeeredcuriouslyather。

"Goodnessme!"murmuredthePrincess，inanArabicmuchmoresoftandfluentthantheoriginalgum。"Sohedoes——looklikehim。"

"Anddoyouknowyoulooklikehim，too？Wouldyoumindtakingawalkaroundtogether？"

Theydid，amidtheacclamationsofthecrowd。Thelikenesswasperfect。ThePrincess，however，wasquitewhiteassheeagerlyrejoinedthedoctor。

"Andthismeans——？"shehissedinalowwhisper。

"Thatheisthereal’ArryAxes!Hush，notawordnow!Wejointhedahabiyehto—night。Atdaybreakyouwillmeethimatthefourthangleofthepyramid，firstturningfromtheNile!"

VIII

ThecrescentmoonhungagainovertheapexoftheGreatPyramid，likeasilvercuttingfromtherosynailofahouri。TheSphinx——

mightyguesserofriddles，readerofrebusesanduniversalsolverofmissingwords——lookedovertheunfathomabledesertandthesefewpages，withtheworried，hopelessexpressionofonewhoisobligedatlasttogiveitup。Andthenthewailingvoiceofawoman，toilingupthesteepstepsofthepyramid，washeardabovethecreakingoftheIbis："’ArryAxes!Whereareyou？Waitforme。"

"J’ysuis，"saidavoicefromtheverysummitofthestupendousgranitebulk，"yetIcannotreachit。"

Andinthatfaintlightthefigureofamanwasseen，liftinghisarmswildlytowardthemoon。

"’ArryAxes，"persistedthevoice，driftinghigher，"waitforme；

wearepursued。"

Andindeeditwastrue。AbandofNubians，headedbythedoctor，wasalreadyswarminglikeantsupthepyramid，andtheunhappypairweresecured。Andwhenthesunrose，itwasuponthewhitesailsofthedahabiyeh，thevacantpyramid，andtheslumberingSphinx。

TherewasgreatexcitementattheCairoHotelthenextmorning。

ThePrincessandtheChevalierhaddisappeared，andwiththemAlasterMcFeckless，LadyFitz—Fulke，thedoctor，andevenhisdahabiyeh!Athousandrumorshadbeenincirculation。SirMidasPylelookedupfromthe"Times"withhisusualI—told—you—soexpression。

"Itisthemostextraordinarything，don’tcherknow，"saidFitz—

Fulke。"ItseemsthatDr。HaustusPilgrimwashereprofessionally——

asanervespecialist——inthetreatmentofhallucinationsproducedbyneuroticconditions，youknow。"

"Amaddoctor，here!"gaspedSirMidas。

"Yes。ThePrincess，theChevalier，McFeckless，andevenmymotherwereallpatientsofhisonthedahabiyeh。Hebelieved，don’tcherknow，inhumoringthemandlettingthemfollowouttheircranks，underhismanagement。ThePrincesswasamusic—hallartistwhoimaginedshewasadeadandgoneEgyptianPrincess；andthequeerestofall，’ArryAxeswasalsoamusic—hallsingerwhoimaginedhimselfChevalier——youknow，thegreatKosterartist——andthat’showwetookhimforaFrenchman。McFecklessandmypooroldmotherweretheonlyoneswithanyrealrankandposition——butyouknowwhatabeastlybounderMacwas，andthepoormaterDIDoverdotheyouthful!WenevercalledthedoctorinuntilthedayshewantedtogotoaswellballinLondonasLittleRedRiding—hood。

Butthedoctorwritesmethattheexperimentwasasuccess，andthey’llbeallrightwhentheygetbacktoLondon。"

"Then，itseems，sir，thatyouandIweretheonlysaneoneshere，"

saidSirMidasfuriously。

"Reallyit’sasmuchasIcandotobecertainaboutmyself，oldchappie，"saidFitz—Fulke，turningaway。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读