ice. On learning that his note had been duly delivered, he smiled
his satisfaction into the telephone mouthpiece.

Fortunately he was known to the sergeant who answered him, having
recently given his services at an entertainment organised by the local
police. After some difficulty he arranged that the charge should be
taken through the telephone, although a most irregular proceeding.

"He's givin' us a lot of trouble, sir. Talks of having been given the
note, and about a burglary and attempted murder," volunteered the
sergeant.

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Professor.

"Ha, ha, ha!" echoed the sergeant, and they rang off.

In spite of his laugh, the Professor was a little puzzled by the
sergeant's words. The man should still be under control. However, he
reasoned, the fellow was caught, and he had other and more important
things to occupy his mind. Hailing a passing taxi, he drove to the
offices of _The Evening Mail_. Sending up his card with the words
IMPORTANT NEWS written upon it, he gained immediate access to the
news-editor.

Within ten minutes the story of the hypnotised burglar was being
dictated by the editor himself to relays of shorthand writers. The
police had, on the telephone, confirmed the story of a man having given
himself up, and the whole adventure was, in the argot of Fleet Street,
"hot stuff."

By half-past eleven the papers were selling in the streets, and the
Professor was on his way to the police-court. He had been told the
case would not come on before twelve. As his taxi threaded its way
jerkily westward, he caught glimpses of the placards of the noon
edition of _The Evening Mail_, bearing such sensational lines as:

MESMERISM EXTRAORDINARY

AN AMAZING CAPTURE

ALLEGED BURGLAR HYPNOTISED

He smiled pleasantly as he pictured his reception that evening, as an
extra turn, at one of the big music-halls.

He fell to speculating as to how much he should demand, and to which
manager he should offer his services. "The Napoleon of Mesmerists,"
was the title he had decided to adopt. Again the Professor smiled
amiably as he thought of the column of description with headlines in
_The Evening Mail_. He had indeed achieved success.

III

The drowsy atmosphere of the West London Police Court oppressed even
the prisoners. They came, heard, and departed; protagonists for a few
minutes in a drama, then oblivion. The magistrate was cross, the clerk
husky, and the police anx