wo hours, I at length turned back
towards our chambers, where I arrived as the lamp-lighter was just
finishing his round.

My fruitless speculations had left me somewhat irritable. The lighted
windows that I had noticed as I approached had given me the impression
that Thorndyke had returned. I had intended to press him for a little
further information. When, therefore, I let myself into our chambers and
found, instead of my colleague, a total stranger--and only a back view
at that--I was disappointed and annoyed.

The stranger was seated by the table, reading a large document that
looked like a lease. He made no movement when I entered, but when I
crossed the room and wished him "Good evening," he half rose and bowed
silently. It was then that I first saw his face, and a mighty start he
gave me. For one moment I actually thought he was Mr. Weiss, so close
was the resemblance, but immediately I perceived that he was a much
smaller man.

I sat down nearly opposite and stole an occasional furtive glance at
him. The resemblance to Weiss was really remarkable. The same flaxen
hair, the same ragged beard and a similar red nose, with the patches of
<i>acne rosacea</i> spreading to the adjacent cheeks. He wore spectacles,
too, through which he took a quick glance at me now and again, returning
immediately to his document.

After some moments of rather embarrassing silence, I ventured to remark
that it was a mild evening; to which he assented with a sort of Scotch
"Hm--hm" and nodded slowly. Then came another interval of silence,
during which I speculated on the possibility of his being a relative of
Mr. Weiss and wondered what the deuce he was doing in our chambers.

"Have you an appointment with Dr. Thorndyke?" I asked, at length.

He bowed solemnly, and by way of reply--in the affirmative, as I
assumed--emitted another "hm--hm."

I looked at him sharply, a little nettled by his lack of manners;
whereupon he opened out the lease so that it screened his face, and as I
glanced at the back of the document, I was astonished to observe that it
was shaking rapidly.

The fellow was actually laughing! What he found in my simple question to
cause him so much amusement I was totally unable to imagine. But there
it was. The tremulous movements of the document left me in no possible
doubt that he was for some reason convulsed with laughter.

It was extremely mysterious. Also, it was rather embarrassing. I took
out my pocket fil