ld come also. When we had entered, Sir James
turned to me and said:

"I understand from Doctor Winchester that you are a friend of Miss
Trelawny, and that you have already considerable knowledge of this
case. Perhaps it will be well that you should be with us. I know you
already as a keen lawyer, Mr. Ross, though I never had the pleasure of
meeting you. As Doctor Winchester tells me that there are some strange
matters outside this case which seem to puzzle him--and others--and in
which he thinks you may yet be specially interested, it might be as
well that you should know every phase of the case. For myself I do not
take much account of mysteries--except those of science; and as there
seems to be some idea of an attempt at assassination or robbery, all I
can say is that if assassins were at work they ought to take some
elementary lessons in anatomy before their next job, for they seem
thoroughly ignorant. If robbery were their purpose, they seem to have
worked with marvellous inefficiency. That, however, is not my
business." Here he took a big pinch of snuff, and turning to to Miss
Trelawny, went on: "Now as to the patient. Leaving out the cause of his
illness, all we can say at present is that he appears to be suffering
from a marked attack of catalepsy. At present nothing can be done,
except to sustain his strength. The treatment of my friend Doctor
Winchester is mainly such as I approve of; and I am confident that
should any slight change arise he will be able to deal with it
satisfactorily. It is an interesting case--most interesting; and
should any new or abnormal development arise I shall be happy to come
at any time. There is just one thing to which I wish to call your
attention; and I put it to you, Miss Trelawny, directly, since it is
your responsibility. Doctor Winchester informs me that you are not
yourself free in the matter, but are bound by an instruction given by
your Father in case just such a condition of things should arise. I
would strongly advise that the patient be removed to another room; or,
as an alternative, that those mummies and all such things should be
removed from his chamber. Why, it's enough to put any man into an
abnormal condition, to have such an assemblage of horrors round him,
and to breathe the atmosphere which they exhale. You have evidence
already of how such mephitic odour may act. That nurse--Kennedy, I
think you said, Doctor--isn't yet out of her state of catale