he cried fiercely. "What have you done to it?"

"Done! how could I do anything to it? As if you didn't know that!"

"Then," stammered Paul, determined to know the worst, "then do you, do
you mean to tell me you can see any--alteration in me? Tell me the truth
now!"

"I should just think I could!" said Dick emphatically. "It's very queer,
but just look here," and he came up to the sideboard and placed himself
by the side of his horrified father. "Why," he said, with another
giggle, "we're--he-he--as like as two peas!"

They were indeed; the glass reflected now two small boys, each with
chubby cheeks and auburn hair, both dressed, too, exactly alike, in Eton
jackets and broad white collars; the only difference to be seen between
them was that, while one face wore an expression of intense glee and
satisfaction, the other--the one which Mr. Bultitude was beginning to
fear must belong to him--was lengthened and drawn with dismay and
bewilderment.

"Dick," said Paul faintly, "what is all this? Who has been, been taking
these liberties with me?"

"I'm sure I don't know," protested Dick. "It wasn't me. I believe you
did it all yourself."

"Did it all myself!" repeated Paul indignantly. "Is it likely I should?
It's some trickery, I tell you, some villainous plot. The worst of it
is," he added plaintively, "I don't understand who I'm supposed to be
now. Dick, who am I?"

"You can't be me," said Dick, "because here I am, you know. And you're
not yourself, that's very plain. You must be _somebody_, I suppose," he
added dubiously.

"Of course I am. What do you mean?" said Paul angrily. "Never mind who
I am. I feel just the same as I always did. Tell me when you first began
to notice any change. Could you see it coming on at all, eh?"

"It was all at once, just as you were talking about school and all that.
You said you only wished---- Why of course; look here, it must be the
stone that did it!"

"Stone! what stone?" said Paul. "I don't know what you're talking
about."

"Yes, you do--the Garuda Stone! You've got it in your hand still. Don't
you see? It's a real talisman after all! How jolly!"

"I didn't do anything to set it off; and besides, oh, it's perfectly
absurd! How can there be such things as talismans nowadays, eh? Tell me
that."

"Well, something's happened to you, hasn't it? And it must have been
done somehow," argued Dick.

"I was holding the confounded thing, certainly," said Paul, "here it is.
But w