. Cowper exclaimed gravely. "This is most disappointing.
Is there no chance of recovering it?

"We are trying," Burton replied. "Mr. Waddington has engaged a private
detective and we are also advertising in the papers."

"You have the beans still, at any rate," the professor remarked,
hopefully.

"We have the beans," Burton admitted, "but it is very awkward not
knowing how long one's condition is going to last. I might go out
without my beans one day, and find myself assailed by all manner of
amazing inclinations."

"My dear young man," the professor said earnestly, "let me point out to
you that this is a wonderful position in which you have been placed.
You ought to be most proud and grateful. Any trifling inconveniences
which may result should be, I venture to say, utterly ignored by you.
Now come, let me ask you a question. Are you feeling absolutely
your--how shall I call it--revised self to-day?"

"Absolutely, thank Heaven!" Burton declared, fervently.

The professor nodded his head. All the time his eyes were roving about
Burton's person, as though he were longing to make a minute study of his
anatomy.

"It would be most interesting," he said, "to trace the commencement
of any change in your condition. I am here with a proposition,
Mr. Burton. I appeal to you in the name of science as well
as--er--hospitality. The change might come to you here while you are
alone. There would be no one to remark upon it, no one to make those
interesting and instructive notes which, in justice to the cause of
progress, should be made by some competent person such as--forgive
me--myself. I ask you, therefore, to pack up and return with us to
Leagate. You shall have a study to yourself, my daughter will be only
too pleased and proud to assist you in your work, and I have also a
young female who comes to type-write for me, whose services you can
entirely command. I trust that you will not hesitate, Mr. Burton. We
are most anxious--indeed we are most anxious, are we not, Edith?--to
have you come."

Burton turned his head and glanced toward the girl. She had raised her
veil. Her eyes met his, met his question and evaded it. She studied
the pattern of the carpet. When she looked up again, her cheeks were
pink.

"Mr. Burton will be very welcome," she said.

There was a short silence in the room. The sunshine fell across the
dusty room in a long, quivering shaft. Outside, the branches of an elm
tree swinging in the wind cast