ut you say that your adventure and that of
mademoiselle occurred in London?"

I repeated my story. Then I ventured to ask:

"Do you, Professor, know anything of a Doctor Moroni, of Florence?"

The white-bearded, shock-haired man reflected for a moment, and then
moving in his chair, replied:

"I fancy I have heard his name. Moroni--Moroni? Yes, I am sure someone
has mentioned him."

"As a toxicologist?"

"Probably. I do not really remember. I believe I met him at one of the
conferences in Paris or Geneva. He was with one of your English
professors--one of your medico-legists whose name at the moment
escapes my memory. He gave evidence in that curious case of alleged
poison at the Old Bailey, in London, a year ago."

"But is Doctor Moroni known as an expert in poison?"

"Not to my personal knowledge. Possibly he is, and I have heard his
name in that connexion. Why do you ask?"

"Because he has had my friend Miss Tennison under his care. He has
taken her to see several specialists in Italy." Then in a sudden burst
of confidence I told him of my great love for the girl who, like
myself, had been attacked in secret. Further, I told him that the
reason of my steady inquiry was in her interests, as well as in my
own.

"My dear Monsieur Garfield, now that you are so frank with me I will
do my utmost in the interests of both of you," declared the dear old
Professor, as he rose and crossed to the window. "What you have told
me interests me intensely. I see by your travels to Spain and the
South that you are leaving no stone unturned to arrive at a true
solution of the problem--and I will help you. Orosin is the least
known and most dangerous drug that has ever been discovered in our
modern civilization. Used with evil intent it is unsuspected and
wellnigh undiscoverable, for the symptoms often resemble those of
certain diseases of the brain. The person to whom the drug is
administered either exhibits an exhilaration akin to undue excess of
alcohol, or else the functions of the brain are entirely distorted,
with a complete loss of memory or a chronic aberration of the brain."

"That is the case of my friend Miss Tennison," I said.

"Very well. I will see her and endeavour to do what I can to restore
her," said the elegant old French savant. "But, remember, I hold out
no hope. In all cases orosin destroys the brain. It seems to create a
slow degeneracy of the cells which nobody yet can understand. We know
the effect