a
vestige of the face could be seen, while, further, all the expression of
the eyes was concealed behind large blue spectacles. The professor was
enveloped in a heavy cloak, in spite of the bright sunshine; evidently
he was one of those men from the cold North who do not know what real
warmth is and have no idea of what it means to be too thickly clothed.
He spoke French correctly, but with a slight accent and a slow
enunciation that betrayed a foreign origin.

"I was really anxious, sir, to observe for myself the measures you have
taken which have set your institution in the forefront of establishments
of the kind," he replied. "I have read with the very greatest interest
your various communications to the transactions of learned societies. It
is a great advantage for a practitioner like myself to be able to profit
by the experience of a savant of your high standing."

A few further compliments were exchanged and then Dr. Biron suggested a
visit to the various wards, and led his guest out into the grounds of
the institution.

If Dr. Biron did not possess that theoretical knowledge of insanity
which has made French alienists famous throughout the world, he was
certainly a first-rate organiser. His sanatorium was a model one. It was
situated in one of the wealthiest, quietest and airiest quarters of
Paris, and stood in a vast enclosure behind high walls; within this
enclosure a number of small pavilions were built, all attractive in
design, and communicating by broad flights of steps with a beautiful
garden studded with trees and shrubs, but further subdivided into a
series of little gardens separated from one another by white latticed
palings.

"You see, Professor, I rely entirely on the isolation principle. A
single block would have involved a deleterious collocation of various
types of insanity, so I built this series of small pavilions, where my
patients can be segregated according to their type of alienation. The
system has great therapeutic advantages, and I am sure it is the
explanation of my high percentage of cures."

Professor Swelding nodded approval.

"We apply the system of segregation in Denmark," he said, "but we have
never carried it so far as to divide the general grounds. I see that
each of your pavilions has its own private garden."

"I regard that as indispensable," Dr. Biron declared. He led his visitor
to one of the little gardens, where a man of about fifty was walking
about between two at