“Presentiments，“hescoffed，“aretheexcusesofcowards。Don’tbeafraid，Florence。RememberalwaysthatIlookahead。DoyouthinkthatIcouldstayherecontentedwithwhatyoucallmycompensations-myart，thestudyofbeautifulthings，thecalmepicureanismofthesedateandsimplelife？YouknowverywellthatIcouldnotdothat。Thecravingforotherthingsisinmyheartandblood。TheexcitementwhichIcannothaveinoneway，Imustfindinanother，andIthinkthatbeforemanynightshavepassed，Ishalllieonmypillowandhearthegunsroar，hearthefootstepsofthegreatarmiesoftheworldmovingintobattle。ItisforthatIlive，Florence。“
Shetookupherknittingagain。Hereyeswerefixeduponthesky-line。Twicesheopenedherlips，buttwicenowordscame。
“Youunderstand？“hewhispered。“Youbegintounderstand，don’tyou？“
Shelookedathimonlyforamomentandbackatherwork。
“Isupposeso，“shesighed。
InthemiddleofthatnightHamelsatupinbed，awakenedwithasuddenstartbysomesound，onlythefaintestechoofwhichremainedinhisconsciousness。Hisnervesweretinglingwithasenseofexcitement。Hesatupinbedandlistened。Suddenlyitcameagain-along，lowmoanofpain，stifledattheendasthoughrepressedbysomeoutsideagency。Heleapedfromhisbed，hurriedonafewclothes，andsteppedoutontothelanding。Thecryhadseemedtohimtocomefromthefurtherendofthelongcorridor-inthedirection，indeed，oftheroomwhereMr。Dunsterlay。Hemadehiswaythere，walkingontiptoe，althoughhisfeetfellnoiselesslyuponthethickcarpet。Asinglelightwasburningfromabracketinthewall，insufficienttoilluminatetheemptyspaces，butenoughtokeephimfromstumbling。Thecorridortowardsthesouthendgraduallywidened，terminatinginasplendidhighwindowwithstainedglass，abroadseat，andatable。Ontheright，theendroomwasMr。Dunster’sapartment，andontheleftaflightofstairsledtothefloorabove。Hamelstoodquitestill，listening。
Therewasalightintheroom，ashecouldseefromunderthedoor，buttherewasnosoundofanyonemoving。Hamellistenedintently，everysensestrained。Thenthesoundofastaircreakingbehinddivertedhisattention。Helookedquicklyaround。Geraldwasdescending。Theboy’sfacewaswhite，andhiseyeswerefilledwithfear。Hamelsteppedsoftlybackfromthedoorandmethimatthefootofthestairs。
“Didyouhearthatcry？“hewhispered。
Geraldnodded。
“Itwokemeup。Whatdoyousupposeitwas？“Hamelshookhishead。
“Someoneinpain，“hereplied。“Idon’tunderstandit。Itcamefromthisroom。“
“Youknowwhosleepsthere？“Geraldaskedhoarsely。
Hamelnodded。
“Amanwithconcussionofthebraindoesn’tcryoutlikethat。
Besides，didyouheartheendofit？Itsoundedasthoughsomeonewerechokinghim。Hush！“
Theyhadspokenonlyinbatedbreath，butthedooroftheroombeforewhichtheywerestandingwassuddenlyopened。Meekinsstoodthere，fullydressed，hisdark，heavyfacefullofsomberwarning。
Hestartedalittleashesawthetwowhisperingtogether。Geraldaddressedhimalmostapologetically。
“Webothheardthesamesound，Meekins。Isanyoneill？Itsoundedlikesomeoneinpain。“
Themanhesitated。ThenfrombehindhisshouldercameMr。
Fentolin’sstill，softvoice。Therewasalittleclick，andMeekins，asthoughobeyinganunseengesture，steppedback。Mr。Fentolinglidedontothethreshold。Hewasstilldressed。Hepropelledhischairafewyardsdownthecorridorandbeckonedthemtoapproach。
“Iamsosorry，“hesaidsoftly，“thatyoushouldhavebeendisturbed，Mr。Hamel。Wehavebeenalittleanxiousaboutourmysteriousguest。DoctorSarsonfetchedmeanhourago。Hediscoveredthatitwasnecessarytoperformaveryslightoperation，merelytheextractionofasplinterofwood。Itisallovernow，andIthinkthathewilldoverywell。“
Notwithstandingthisveryplausibleexplanation，Hamelwasconsciousoftheremainsofanuneasinesswhichhescarcelyknewhowtoputintowords。
“Itwasamostdistressingcry，“heobserveddoubtfully，“acryoffearaswellasofpain。“
“Poorfellow！“Mr。Fentolinremarkedcompassionately。“Iamafraidthatforamomentortwohemusthavesufferedacutely。DoctorSarsonisveryclever，however，andthereisnodoubtthatwhathedidwasforthebest。Hisopinionisthatbyto-morrowmorningtherewillbeamarvellouschange。Goodnight，Mr。Hamel。Iamquitesurethatyouwillnotbedisturbedagain。“
Hamelneitherfeltnorshowedanydispositiontodepart。
“Mr。Fentolin，“hesaid，“IhopethatyouwillnotthinkthatIamofficiousorinanywayabusingyourhospitality，butIcannothelpsuggestingthatasDr。Sarsonispurelyyourhouseholdphysician，therelativesofthismanDunstermightbebettersatisfiedifsomesecondopinionwerecalledin。MightIsuggestthatyoutelephonetoNorwichforasurgeon？“
Mr。Fentolinshowednosignsofdispleasure。Hewassilentforamoment，asthoughconsideringthematter。
“Iamnotatallsure，Mr。Hamel，thatyouarenotright，“headmittedfrankly。“Ibelievethatthecaseisquiteasimpleone，butontheotherhanditwouldperhapsbemoresatisfactorytohaveanoutsideopinion。IfMr。Dunsterisnotconsciousinthemorning，wewilltelephonetotheNorwichInfirmary。“
“Ithinkitwouldbeadvisable，“Hamelagreed。
“Goodnight！“Mr。Fentolinsaidoncemore。Iamsorrythatyourresthasbeendisturbed。“
Hamel，however，stillrefusedtotakethehint。Hiseyeswerefixeduponthatcloseddoor。
“Mr。Fentolin，“heasked，“haveyouanyobjectiontomyseeingMr。
Dunster？“
Therewasamoment’sintensesilence。AsuddenlighthadburnedinMr。Fentolin’seyes。Hisfingersgrippedthesideofhischair。
Yetwhenhespoketherewerenosignsofangerinhistone。Itwasamarvellouseffortofself-control。
“Thereisnoreason，Mr。Hamel，“hesaid，“whyyourcuriosityshouldnotbegratified。Knocksoftlyatthedoor，Gerald。“
Theboyobeyed。InamomentortwoDoctorSarsonappearedonthethreshold。
“Ourguest，Mr。Hamel，“Mr。Fentolinexplainedinawhisper，“hasbeenawakenedbythispoorfellow’scry。Hewouldliketoseehimforamoment。“
DoctorSarsonopenedthedoor。Theyallpassedinontiptoe。ThedoctorledthewaytowardsthebeduponwhichMr。Dunsterwaslying，quitestill。Hisheadwasbandaged，andhiseyesclosed。Hisfacewasghastly。Geraldgaveventtoalittlemutteredexclamation。
Mr。Fentolinturnedtohim。quickly。
“Gerald！“
Theboystoodstill，trembling，speechless。Mr。Fentolin’seyeswereriveteduponhim。Thedoctorwasstanding，stillanddark，amotionlessimage。
“Isheasleep？“Hamelasked。
“Heisundertheinfluenceofamildanaesthetic，“DoctorSarsonexplained。“Heisdoingverywell。Hiscaseisquitesimple。Byto-morrowmorninghewillbeabletositupandwalkaboutifhewishesto。“
Hamellookedsteadilyatthefigureuponthebed。Mr。Dunster’sbreathingwasregular，andhiseyeswereclosed，buthiscolourwasghastly。
“Hedoesn’tlooklikegettingupforagoodmanydaystocome，“
Hamelobserved。
Thedoctorledthewaytowardsthedoor。
“Themanhasafineconstitution，“hesaid。“Ifeelsurethatifyouwishyouwillbeabletotalktohimto-morrow。“
Theyseparatedoutsideinthepassage。Mr。Fentolinbadehisguestasomewhatrestrainedgoodnight，andGeraldmountedthestaircasetohisroom。Hamel，however，hadscarcelyreachedhisdoorbeforeGeraldreappeared。Hehaddescendedthestair-caseattheotherendofthecorridor。Hestoodforamomentlookingdownthepassage。
Thedoorswereallclosed。Eventhelighthadbeenextinguished。
“MayIcomeinforamoment，please？“hewhispered。
Hamelnodded。
“Withpleasure！Comeinandhaveacigaretteifyouwill。Ishan’tfeellikesleepforsometime。“
Theyenteredtheroom，andGeraldthrewhimselfintoaneasy-chairnearthewindow。Hamelwheeledupanotherchairandproducedaboxofcigarettes。
“Queerthingyourdroppingacrossthatfellowinthewayyoudid，“
heremarked。“Justshowshowonemaydisappearfromtheworldaltogether，andnoonebeabitthewiser。“
Theboywassittingwithfoldedarms。Hisexpressionwasoneofdeepgloom。
“IonlywishI’dneverbroughthimhere，“hemuttered。“Ioughttohaveknownbetter。“
Hamelraisedhiseyebrows。“Isn’theaswelloffhereasanywhereelse？“
“Doyouthinkthatheis？“Geralddemanded，lookingacrossatHamel。
Therewasabriefsilence。
“Wecanscarcelydoyouruncletheinjustice，“Hamelremarked，“ofimaginingthathecanpossiblyhaveanyreasonoranydesiretodealwiththatmanexceptasaguest。“
“Doyoureallybelievethat？“Geraldasked。
Hamelrosetohisfeet。
“Lookhere，youngman，“hesaid，“thisisgettingserious。YouandIareatcross-purposes。Ifyoulike，youshallhavethetruthfromme。“
“Goon。“
“IwaswarnedaboutyourunclebeforeIcamedownintothispartoftheworld，“Hamelcontinuedquietly。“Iwastoldthatheisadangerousconspirator，amanwhosticksatnothingtogainhisends，apersonaltogetheroutofplaceinthesedays。Itsoundsmelodramatic，butIhaditstraightfromafriend。SinceIhavebeenhere，Ihavehadatelegram-youbroughtittomeyourself-askingforinformationaboutthismanDunster。ItwasIwhowiredtoLondonthathewashere。ItwasthroughmethatScotlandYardcommunicatedwiththepolicestationatWells，throughmethatamanistobesentdownfromLondon。Ididn’tcomehereasaspy-don’tthinkthat；Iwascominghere，anyhow。Ontheotherhand，Ibelievethatyouruncleisplayingadangerousgame。IamgoingtohaveMr。JohnP。DunsterputinchargeofaNorwichphysicianto-morrow。“
