him was, for all its
diminutive size, both dignified and imposing. Something in its
atmosphere, something about its mysterious presentment there upon the
floor in its dark corner, something, perhaps, that flashed from its
brilliant and almost terrible eyes, managed to convey to him that it was
clothed with an importance and a significance not attached normally to
the animal world. It had "an air." It bore itself with power, with value,
almost with pride.

This incongruous impression bereft him of the sensations of ordinary
fear, while it increased the sources of his confusion. Yet it convinced.
He knew himself face to face with some form of life that was considerable
in the true sense--spiritually. It exercised a fascination over him that
was at the moment beyond either explanation or belief.

As he moved, moreover, the little dark object also moved--away from him,
as though resenting closer inspection. With action--again unlike the
action of any animal he could think of, and essentially dignified--both
rapid and nicely calculated, it ran towards the curtains behind. This
appearance of something stately that went with it was indefinable and
beyond everything impressive; for how in the world could such small
proportions and diminutive movements convey grandeur? And again Spinrobin
found it impossible to decide precisely how it moved--whether on four
legs or on two.

Keeping the two points of light always turned upon him, it shot across
the floor, leaped easily upon a chair, passed with a nimble spring from
this to a table by the wall, still too much in obscurity to permit a
proper view; and then, while the amazed secretary approached cautiously
to follow its movements better, it crawled to the edge of the table, and
in so doing passed for the first time full across the pale zone of
flickering candlelight.

Spinrobin, in that quick second, caught a glimpse of flying hair, and saw
that it moved either as a human being or as a bird--on two legs.

The same moment it sprang deftly from the high table to the mantelpiece,
turned, stood erect, and looked at him with the whole glare of the light
upon its face; and Spinrobin, bereft of all power of intelligible
sensation whatever, saw to his unutterable distress that it was--a man.
The dignity of its movements had already stirred vaguely his sense of
awe, but now the realization beyond doubt of its diminutive _human_ shape
added a singularly acute touch of horror; and it was