hing to tell. I have
received a letter from Dr. Harding of Buenos Ayres. He says that he
attended Meyrick for three weeks before his death.'

'And does he say what carried him off in the prime of life? It was not
fever?'

'No, it was not fever. According to the doctor, it was an utter collapse
of the whole system, probably caused by some severe shock. But he states
that the patient would tell him nothing, and that he was consequently at
some disadvantage in treating the case.'

'Is there anything more?'

'Yes. Dr. Harding ends his letter by saying: "I think this is all the
information I can give you about your poor friend. He had not been long
in Buenos Ayres, and knew scarcely any one, with the exception of a
person who did not bear the best of characters, and has since left--a
Mrs. Vaughan."'

VIII

THE FRAGMENTS

[Amongst the papers of the well-known physician, Dr. Robert
Matheson, of Ashley Street, Piccadilly, who died suddenly, of
apoplectic seizure, at the beginning of 1892, a leaf of manuscript
paper was found, covered with pencil jottings. These notes were in
Latin, much abbreviated, and had evidently been made in great haste.
The MS. was only deciphered with great difficulty, and some words
have up to the present time evaded all the efforts of the expert
employed. The date, 'XXV Jul. 1888,' is written on the right-hand
corner of the MS. The following is a translation of Dr. Matheson's
manuscript.]

'Whether science would benefit by these brief notes if they could be
published, I do not know, but rather doubt. But certainly I shall never
take the responsibility of publishing or divulging one word of what is
here written, not only on account of my oath freely given to those two
persons who were present, but also because the details are too
abominable. It is probably that, upon mature consideration, and after
weighing the good and evil, I shall one day destroy this paper, or at
least leave it under seal to my friend D., trusting in his discretion,
to use it or to burn it, as he may think fit.

'As was befitting, I did all that my knowledge suggested to make sure
that I was suffering under no delusion. At first astounded, I could
hardly think, but in a minute's time I was sure that my pulse was steady
and regular, and that I was in my real and true senses. I then fixed my
eyes quietly on what was before me.

'Though horror and revolting nausea rose up within m