on the floor
with my back against the door. The discovery amused me exceedingly and
I laughed; and Jarman, baffled, descended to his own floor. I found
getting into bed a difficulty, owing to the strange behaviour of the
room. It spun round and round. Now the bed was just in front of me, now
it was behind me. I managed at last to catch it before it could get past
me, and holding on by the ironwork, frustrated its efforts to throw me
out again on to the floor.

But it was some time before I went to sleep, and over my intervening
experiences I draw a veil.

CHAPTER III.

GOOD FRIENDS SHOW PAUL THE ROAD TO FREEDOM. BUT BEFORE SETTING OUT, HE
WILL GO A-VISITING.

The sun was streaming into my window when I woke in the morning. I sat
up and listened. The roar of the streets told me plainly that the day
had begun without me. I reached out my hand for my watch; it was not in
its usual place upon the rickety dressing-table. I raised myself still
higher and looked about me. My clothes lay scattered on the floor. One
boot, in solitary state, occupied the chair by the fireplace; the other
I could not see anywhere.

During the night my head appeared to have grown considerably. I
wondered idly for the moment whether I had not made a mistake and put
on Minikin's; if so, I should be glad to exchange back for my own.
This thing I had got was a top-heavy affair, and was aching most
confoundedly.

Suddenly the recollection of the previous night rushed at me and shook
me awake. From a neighbouring steeple rang chimes: I counted with care.
Eleven o'clock. I sprang out of bed, and at once sat down upon the
floor.

I remembered how, holding on to the bed, I had felt the room waltzing
wildly round and round. It had not quite steadied itself even yet. It
was still rotating, not whirling now, but staggering feebly, as
though worn out by its all-night orgie. Creeping to the wash-stand, I
succeeded, after one or two false plunges, in getting my head inside
the basin. Then, drawing on my trousers with difficulty and reaching
the easy-chair, I sat down and reviewed matters so far as I was able,
commencing from the present and working back towards the past.

I was feeling very ill. That was quite clear. Something had disagreed
with me.

"That strong cigar," I whispered feebly to myself; "I ought never to
have ventured upon it. And then the little room with all those people
in it. Besides, I have been working very hard. I must reall