f Dr
Congleton appeared from the direction of the ballroom with a still more
portly dowager on his arm.

"My mother!" exclaimed Lady Alicia, rising quickly to her feet.

"Indeed?" said Mr Beveridge, who still kept his seat. "She certainly looks
handsome enough."

This speech made Lady Alicia blush very becomingly, and the Countess
looked at her sharply.

"Where have you been, Alicia?"

"The room was rather warm, mamma, and----"

"In short, madam," interrupted Mr Beveridge, rising and bowing, "your
charming daughter wished to study a lunatic at close quarters. I am mad,
and I obligingly raved. Thus----" He ran one hand through his hair so as to
make it fall over his eyes, blew out his cheeks, and uttering a yell,
sprang high into the air, and descended in a sitting posture on the floor.

"That, madam, is a very common symptom," he explained, with a smile,
smoothing down his hair again, "as our friend Dr Congleton will tell you."

Both the doctor and the Countess were too astonished to make any reply, so
he turned again to Lady Alicia, and offering his arm, said, "Let me lead
you back to our fellow-fools."

"Is he safe?" whispered the Countess.

"I--I believe so," replied Dr Congleton in some confusion; "but I shall
have him watched more carefully."

As they entered the room Mr Beveridge whispered, "Will you meet a poor
lunatic again?" And the Lady Alicia pressed his arm.

CHAPTER IV.

On the morning after the dance Dr Congleton summoned Dr Escott to his
room.

"Escott," he began, "we must keep a little sharper eye on Mr Beveridge."

"Indeed, sir?" said Escott; "he seems to me harmless enough."

"Nevertheless, he must be watched. Lady Grillyer was considerably alarmed
by his conduct last night, and a client who has confided so many of her
relatives to my care must be treated with the greatest regard. I receive
pheasants at Christmas from no fewer than fourteen families of title, and
my reputation for discretion is too valuable to be risked. When Mr
Beveridge is not under your own eyes you must see that Moggridge always
keeps him in sight."

Accordingly Moggridge, a burly and seasoned attendant on refractory
patients, was told off to keep an unobtrusive eye on that accomplished
gentleman. His duties appeared light enough, for, as I have said, Mr
Beveridge's eccentricities had hitherto been merely of the most playful
nature.

After luncheon on this same day he ga