ngs that
remain for me to study cautiously. The madness of Goliath and, of
course, this gentleman Niobe.

"He came out, a fact at the time that astonished me. For I had not been
aware of his madness. He stood with his bent and bulbous body shaking
and his hands resting like a baboon's on the floor. I was noticing the
excitement of his huge head when it came to me with a curious
feeling--he was looking at her. Yes, Goliath my servant was looking not
at me. But at her!

"'Careful, Mallare, be careful,' I thought. The insane sniveling of this
lodge brother distracted me. His arms came around me and he rested his
head on me and wept. Insufferable ass! It was impossible to think. I
remained with my eyes watching and repeating cautiously to myself the
warning.

"Here was a trick too baffling for Mallare. Mallare must suspend
himself, close his eyes and climb slowly back into his black heaven.

"'Then Goliath too is a phantom,' I thought. 'But careful, be careful,
Mallare. That is too easy. And you remember. It is dangerous to hide
from too many memories. They will become shadows that nibble at you. He
is not a phantom. Goliath is no chimera. He lives. He has reality.

"'Then how does it come,' I continued thinking, 'that he sees that which
is visible only to you? His eyes are fastened on her who is to be seen
only inside the caverns of Mallare. He raises his arms. His hands touch
her. I am imagining Goliath. Goliath is not in the room. This is a
memory of him that has wandered onto the scene of my madness.'

"Here my thinking ended. I sat contemplating the imbecile, the
blubberer. He pressed himself upon me with his shameless importunings.
He snivelled and his lips moved with my name. I watched them say,
'Mallare' and repeat 'Mallare' till I grew dizzy with the pantomime of
my name. I will study this later and discover the secret of his lips. My
name drifting continually over them has a way of hypnotizing me. But
later--later.

"I began thinking once more.

"'This lodge brother weeps while Goliath takes liberties with my
phantom. There is a connection there. But it is unimportant for the
present. I must discover something else.'

"Then, like a victory too long withheld, it came to me. He was mad.
Goliath, my servant, was mad. But more than that--a telepathic madness.
I have elaborated my understanding since. Goliath suffers from a
contagion. His constant attendance upon me has proved fatal to his
stupidity. His se