ly the next morning James went to the hotel, and found Gordon haggard
and intense, sitting beside his patient, who was evidently worse. The
terrible red fire of Saint Anthony had mounted higher, and settled
lower. "It has attacked his throat now," Gordon said in a whisper. "I
expect every minute it will reach his brain. When it does, nobody but
you and I must be with him, not even Georgie K. He is getting some rest.
He was up half the night, bless him! But when it reaches the brain two
will be needed here, and the two must be you and I. Take this list, and
make the calls as quickly as you can, and come back here." James, with a
last glance at the black and swollen face of the man, who now seemed to
be in a state of coma, obeyed. He hurried through his list, and
returned. He found no apparent change in the patient, and tried to
persuade Gordon to take a little rest, but the elder man was obdurate.
"No" he said, "here I stay. I have had a bit to eat and drink. You go
down yourself and get something, then come back. The crisis may arrive
any second. Then I shall need you."

The fire had outstripped the blackness on the man's cheek toward the
temple. One eye was closed.

When James returned after a hurried lunch, he heard a loud, terrible
voice in the room. Outside the door a maid stood with a horrified face
listening. James grasped her roughly by the shoulder. "Get out of this,"
he ordered. "If I find you or any one else here listening, you'll be
sorry for it."

The maid gasped out an excuse and fled. James tried the door, but it was
locked. "Is that you, Elliot?" called Gordon above the other awful
voice.

"Yes."

The door was unlocked, and James sprang into the room, but he was hardly
quick enough, for the man was almost out of bed, when the two doctors
forced him back with all their strength. Then he sat up and raved, and
such raving! James felt his very blood cold within him. Revelations as
of a devil were in those ravings. Once in a while James opened the door
cautiously to be sure that no one was listening. The raving man
reiterated names as of a multitude. Gordon's was among them, and many
names of women, one especially--Catherine. He repeated that name more
frequently than the others, but the others were legion. There was
something indescribably horrible in hearing this repetition of names of
unknown people, accompanied with statements beyond belief regarding them
and the raving man. Gordon's face was ghastly