n appeared to belong to
the upper section of the middle class. One, strongly built, with a
keen expression of countenance, was a surgeon considered able in his
profession, but with limited practice, owing to a current suspicion
against his honour in connection with a forged will. The other, tall,
meagre, with long grizzled hair and a wild unsettled look about the
eyes, was a man of science; had written works well esteemed upon
mathematics and electricity, also against the existence of any other
creative power than that which he called "nebulosity," and defined to be
the combination of heat and moisture. The surgeon was about the age of
forty, the atheist a few years older. In another minute or so, a knock
was heard against the wall. One of the men rose and touched a spring
in the panel, which then flew back, and showed an opening upon a narrow
stair, by which, one after the other, entered three other members of the
society. Evidently there was more than one mode of ingress and exit.

The three new-comers were not Frenchmen,--one might see that at a
glance; probably they had reasons for greater precaution than those who
entered by the front door. One, a tall, powerfully-built man, with fair
hair and beard, dressed with a certain pretension to elegance,--faded
threadbare elegance,--exhibiting no appearance of linen, was a Pole.
One, a slight bald man, very dark and sallow, was an Italian. The third,
who seemed like an ouvrier in his holiday clothes, was a Belgian.

Lebeau greeted them all with an equal courtesy, and each with an equal
silence took his seat at the table.

Lebeau glanced at the clock. "Confreres," he said, "our number as fixed
for this seance still needs two to be complete, and doubtless they will
arrive in a few minutes. Till they come, we can but talk upon trifles.
Permit me to offer you my cigar-case." And so saying, he who professed
to be no smoker handed his next neighbour, who was the Pole, a large
cigar-case amply furnished; and the Pole, helping himself to two cigars,
handed the case to the man next him,--two only declining the luxury,
the Italian and the Belgian. But the Pole was the only man who took two
cigars.

Steps were now heard on the stairs, the door opened, and citizen Le
Toux ushered in, one after the other, two men, this time unmistakably
French,--to an experienced eye unmistakably Parisians: the one, a young
beardless man, who seemed almost boyish, with a beautiful face, and
a stint