, in his mind's eye, that he shivered and was asked
if he felt cold. The whispered debate that followed was the longest
conversation they had that night. The window was not shut as a result of
it, but Pocket fetched his overcoat on tiptoe, and it just went over both
their shoulders, when the chairs were drawn as near together as they would
go.

The ragged little garden was brimming over with moonlight from wall to
wall. The unkempt grass looked pale and ghostly, like the skin of some
monstrous wolf. The moon rolled high in the sky and clouds flew above and
below the moon, varying in pace as well. Yet it was a still night, and
Pocket did not think that he had broken the stillness, until the door
burst open behind them, and Baumgartner stood there, holding his lamp
aloft. The wick was turned too high, the flame ran up the chimney in the
draught, and for an instant a demoniac face flared up behind it. Then the
chimney cracked, and fell in a tinkling shower, and the doctor was seen
whirling a naked tongue of fire about his head. The boy drew back as the
lamp flew through the open window, within an inch of his nose, and crashed
upon the path outside.

The trio stood without a word in the moonbeams; but the doctor was
breathing hard through his teeth, like a man wrestling with himself; and
at last he laughed sardonically as though he had won.

"A lamp like that's a dangerous thing," said he, with a kind of forced
solemnity and a shake of the head; "you never know what may happen when a
lamp does that! I'm glad the window was open; it didn't go very near my
young fellow, I hope?"

And he took Pocket playfully by the ear, but pinched it so hard that the
boy could have screamed with pain.

"It would have served you right," continued the doctor, before Pocket
could find his tongue, "for sitting up so late, and keeping a young lady
from her bed to bear you company. Come, Phillida! I shall have another
word with you, young fellow."

The two words to the girl were in a different key from all the rest. They
were tolerant, conciliatory, tenderly persuasive. The rest was suavely
sinister; it made her hesitate; but Pocket had the presence of mind to bid
her a cheery good-night, and she went, closely followed by Baumgartner.

Posted once more at the open door, the boy heard Baumgartner on the next
flight, soothing and affectionate still, allaying her fears; and his own
surged into his throat. He looked wildly about h