ated Leon, much hurt.

"You need not speak so, Leon. If I doubted you, I would never have
confided in you. Once more, good-night."

"Good-night!" And Leon turned to leave the room.

"Pleasant dreams," said the Doctor, and Leon had no suspicion that
there was a studied purpose in the utterance.

After the lad's departure, the Doctor sat alone, musing upon the
situation. He did not go to rest, because his work was not yet
complete. He recalled the night on the Fall River boat, when he had
endeavored to hypnotize Leon, and had failed. To-night he would try
again. For months he had been arranging all the preliminaries, and now
he was confident of success. The object which he had in view was this:
He desired to teach Leon more rapidly than the lad could learn in his
normal condition. This he hoped to accomplish with the aid of
hypnosis. By gaining control of Leon, in this manner he expected to
utilize the marvels of suggestion. He would instruct him, and then
charge him to remember all that he had been taught, and the result
would be that the mind would obey the injunction, and thus acquire
knowledge more rapidly than by ordinary study.

But, for the present, he believed it to be of vital importance that
Leon should not suspect what he was doing. To this end he had arranged
his mode of procedure with the caution of a master of psychology. In
the first place, he had prepared Leon's mind for the rapid progress of
the future, by telling him that the drug administered would increase
his mental powers. This was false. What he had added to the usual
tonic draught, was not a poison, as he had claimed, but a powerful
narcotic. In order, however, to make an impression upon his mind, he
had relied upon the chemical reaction, and the changing color, which
has been described.

Then he had related to him enough of the history of AEsculapius and of
the secret chamber, so that if on the morrow Leon should remember the
visit to the dome, where he meant to carry him presently, he would
easily account for it to himself, as a dream. To make sure of this, he
had suggested dreaming to him as they parted.

So, as he reviewed his arrangement, the Doctor was satisfied that he
had taken all necessary precautions, and with patience he awaited the
time which he had set for further action.

The minutes crept by, until at last a little door in the front of the
great clock opened, and a silver image of Vulcan raised a tiny hammer
and brought it