rted, his body curiously hunched-up. He seemed
suddenly to have dropped his humanity, to have fallen back into the world
of some strange creatures. He heard their footsteps, but he did not turn
his head. His hands were stretched out in front of him as though to keep
away from his sight some hateful object.

"Stop him!" he cried. "Take him away! It's Craig--his spirit! He came to
me in the garage, he followed me through the grounds, he mocked at me when
I hid in the tree. He's there now, kneeling before the fireplace. Why
can't I kill him! He is coming! Stop him, some one!"

No one spoke or moved; no one, indeed, had the power. Then at last Quest
found words.

"There is no one in the room, Professor," he said, "except us."

The sound of a human voice seemed to produce a strange effect. The
Professor straightened himself, shook his head, his hands dropped to his
side. He turned around and faced them. He was ghastly pale, but his smile
was once more the smile of the amiable naturalist.

"My friends," he said, "forgive me. I am very old, and the events of these
last few hours have unnerved me. Forgive me."

He groped for a moment and sank into a chair. Quest fetched a decanter and
a glass from the sideboard, poured out some wine and held it to his lips.
The Professor drank it eagerly.

"My dear friend," he exclaimed, "you have saved me! I have something to
tell you, something I must tell you at once, but not here. I loathe this
place. Let me come with you to your rooms."

"As you please," Quest answered calmly.

The Professor rose hastily to his feet. As he turned around, he saw French
concealing something in his hands. He shivered.

"I don't need those!" he cried. "What are they? Handcuffs? Ah, no! I am
only too anxious to tell you all that I know. Take care of me, Mr. Quest.
Take me with you."

He gripped Quest's arm. In silence they passed from the room, in silence
they took their places once more in the automobiles, in silence they drove
without a pause to Quest's rooms. The Professor seemed to breathe more
freely as they left the neighbourhood of his house behind. He walked up
the stairs to Quest's library almost blithely. If he was aware of it, he
took no notice of French and the two plain-clothes men behind. As he
stepped into the room, he drew a long sigh of relief. He made his way at
once to his favourite easy-chair, threw off his overcoat and leaned back.

"Quest," he pronounced, "you are the best fri