custom to spend an hour together,
during which the Doctor gave his pupil oral instruction, rehearsed him
in what he had already learned, and set new tasks for him to master.
This hour was generally the last before bedtime. After dinner the
Doctor's habit was to yield himself to the demands of his wife, who
delighted to carry him off to social functions, or to the theatres.
Leon very rarely accompanied them. He remained at home to study, and
was ready to meet his teacher at the appointed hour, which was seldom
later than eleven o'clock. Dr. Medjora was a great disciplinarian, and
had Leon been differently constituted, he might have rebelled at the
amount of work which he was expected to accomplish each day. But he
never uttered complaint of any sort. Indeed, he seemed to have an
unlimited capacity for study, so that his assiduity, coupled with a
marvellous memory, rendered his progress very rapid. Nevertheless the
Doctor was not satisfied. He was impatient to see the day arrive when
Leon should reach the same pinnacle of knowledge which he himself had
attained, in order that thereafter they might traverse the road to
fame hand in hand, leaning upon and assisting one another.

At last the day, the hour, arrived, beyond which the Doctor had
decided to pursue their sluggish method no further. He knew how to
teach Leon in one year, all that he had learned by weary plodding
throughout the greater part of his life. But it was essential to his
scheme, that he should be able to hypnotize Leon, and in this he had
made one trial which had failed. During the months which had passed
since then, he had matured a plan which he was sure would prove
successful, and now he entered his pupil's presence prepared to carry
it into execution.

Leon was reading, but instantly closed his book and laid it aside,
greeting the Doctor, not as the foolish schoolboy afraid of his
master, but as the ardent student eager for learning. The Doctor
seated himself in a comfortable Turkish chair, and began as follows:

"Leon, are you tired? Could you prolong the hour a little to-night if
I should not otherwise find time for what I wish to say?"

"I will gladly listen to you till morning, Doctor," replied Leon.

"You have been taking every night the draught which I prescribed?"

"Yes, sir. There on the table is the potion for to-night."

"You do not know what it is, Leon, and the time has not yet arrived
when I can explain its decoction to you. Suffi