tablealight，thatwasall——sometimesoneorotherwouldflareupintoatall，lean，astonishedflameforaspace。Andqueerthingshappened。
　　’Ican’t，’hesaid；’Ishallnever——！’Andsuddenlyhesatdownonalittlechairatthefootofthebedandbegantosobandsob。
　　Lord！whataharrowing，whimperingthingheseemed！
　　“’Youpullyourselftogether，’Isaid，andtriedtopathimontheback，and……myconfoundedhandwentthroughhim！Bythattime，youknow，Iwasn’tnearlyso——massiveasIhadbeenonthelanding。
　　Igotthequeernessofitfull。Iremembersnatchingbackmyhandoutofhim，asitwere，withalittlethrill，andwalkingovertothedressing-table。’Youpullyourselftogether，’Isaidtohim，’andtry。’AndinordertoencourageandhelphimIbegantotryaswell。“
　　“What！“saidSanderson，“thepasses？“
　　“Yes，thepasses。“
　　“But——“Isaid，movedbyanideathateludedmeforaspace。
　　“Thisisinteresting，“saidSanderson，withhisfingerinhispipe-
　　bowl。“Youmeantosaythisghostofyoursgaveaway——“
　　“Didhislevelbesttogiveawaythewholeconfoundedbarrier？YES。“
　　“Hedidn’t，“saidWish；“hecouldn’t。Oryou’dhavegonetheretoo。“
　　“That’spreciselyit，“Isaid，findingmyelusiveideaputintowordsforme。
　　“ThatISpreciselyit，“saidClayton，withthoughtfuleyesuponthefire。
　　Forjustalittlewhiletherewassilence。
　　“Andatlasthedidit？“saidSanderson。
　　“Atlasthedidit。Ihadtokeephimuptoithard，buthediditatlast——rathersuddenly。Hedespaired，wehadascene，andthenhegotupabruptlyandaskedmetogothroughthewholeperformance，slowly，sothathemightsee。’Ibelieve，’hesaid，’ifIcouldSEE
　　Ishouldspotwhatwaswrongatonce。’Andhedid。’_I_know，’
　　hesaid。’Whatdoyouknow？’saidI。’_I_know，’herepeated。
　　Thenhesaid，peevishly，’ICAN’Tdoitifyoulookatme——IreallyCAN’T；it’sbeenthat，partly，allalong。I’msuchanervousfellowthatyouputmeout。’Well，wehadabitofanargument。NaturallyIwantedtosee；buthewasasobstinateasamule，andsuddenlyIhadcomeoverastiredasadog——hetiredmeout。’Allright，’
　　Isaid，’_I_won’tlookatyou，’andturnedtowardsthemirror，onthewardrobe，bythebed。
　　Hestartedoffveryfast。Itriedtofollowhimbylookinginthelooking-glass，toseejustwhatitwashadhung。Roundwenthisarmsandhishands，so，andso，andso，andthenwitharushcametothelastgestureofall——youstanderectandopenoutyourarms——andso，don’tyouknow，hestood。Andthenhedidn’t！Hedidn’t！
　　Hewasn’t！Iwheeledroundfromthelooking-glasstohim。TherewasnothinglIwasalone，withtheflaringcandlesandastaggeringmind。
　　Whathadhappened？Hadanythinghappened？HadIbeendreaming？……
　　Andthen，withanabsurdnoteoffinalityaboutit，theclockuponthelandingdiscoveredthemomentwasripeforstrikingONE。So！——Ping！
　　AndIwasasgraveandsoberasajudge，withallmychampagneandwhiskygoneintothevastserene。Feelingqueer，youknow——confoundedlyQUEER！Queer！GoodLord！“
　　Heregardedhiscigar-ashforamoment。“That’sallthathappened，“hesaid。
　　“Andthenyouwenttobed？“askedEvans。
　　“Whatelsewastheretodo？“
　　IlookedWishintheeye。Wewantedtoscoff，andtherewassomething，somethingperhapsinClayton’svoiceandmanner，thathamperedourdesire。
　　“Andaboutthesepasses？“saidSanderson。
　　“IbelieveIcoulddothemnow。“
　　“Oh！“saidSanderson，andproducedapenknifeandsethimselftogrubthedotteloutofthebowlofhisclay。
　　“Whydon’tyoudothemnow？“saidSanderson，shuttinghispen-knifewithaclick。
　　“That’swhatI’mgoingtodo，“saidClayton。
　　“Theywon’twork，“saidEvans。
　　“Iftheydo——“Isuggested。
　　“Youknow，I’dratheryoudidn’t，“saidWish，stretchingouthislegs。
　　“Why？“askedEvans。
　　“I’dratherhedidn’t，“saidWish。
　　“Buthehasn’tgot’emright，“saidSanderson，pluggingtoomuchtobaccoinhispipe。
　　“Allthesame，I’dratherhedidn’t，“saidWish。
　　WearguedwithWish。HesaidthatforClaytontogothroughthosegestureswaslikemockingaseriousmatter。“Butyoudon’tbelieve——？“
　　Isaid。WishglancedatClayton，whowasstaringintothefire，weighingsomethinginhismind。“Ido——morethanhalf，anyhow，Ido，“saidWish。
　　“Clayton，“saidI，“you’retoogoodaliarforus。Mostofitwasallright。Butthatdisappearance……happenedtobeconvincing。
　　Tellus，it’sataleofcockandbull。“
　　Hestoodupwithoutheedingme，tookthemiddleofthehearthrug，andfacedme。Foramomentheregardedhisfeetthoughtfully，andthenforalltherestofthetimehiseyeswereontheoppositewall，withanintentexpression。Heraisedhistwohandsslowlytothelevelofhiseyesandsobegan……
　　Now，SandersonisaFreemason，amemberofthelodgeoftheFourKings，whichdevotesitselfsoablytothestudyandelucidationofallthemysteriesofMasonrypastandpresent，andamongthestudentsofthislodgeSandersonisbynomeanstheleast。HefollowedClayton’smotionswithasingularinterestinhisreddisheye。“That’snotbad，“hesaid，whenitwasdone。“Youreallydo，youknow，putthingstogether，Clayton，inamostamazingfashion。Butthere’sonelittledetailout。“
　　“Iknow，“saidClayton。“IbelieveIcouldtellyouwhich。“
　　“Well？“
　　“This，“saidClayton，anddidaqueerlittletwistandwrithingandthrustofthehands。
　　“Yes。“
　　“That，youknow，waswhatHEcouldn’tgetright，“saidClayton。
　　“ButhowdoYOU——？“
　　“Mostofthisbusiness，andparticularlyhowyouinventedit，Idon’tunderstandatall，“saidSanderson，“butjustthatphase——Ido。“
　　Hereflected。“Thesehappentobeaseriesofgestures——connectedwithacertainbranchofesotericMasonry。Probablyyouknow。
　　Orelse——HOW？“Hereflectedstillfurther。“IdonotseeIcandoanyharmintellingyoujustthepropertwist。Afterall，ifyouknow，youknow；ifyoudon’t，youdon’t。“
　　“Iknownothing，“saidClayton，“exceptwhatthepoordevilletoutlastnight。“
　　“Well，anyhow，“saidSanderson，andplacedhischurchwardenverycarefullyupontheshelfoverthefireplace。Thenveryrapidlyhegesticulatedwithhishands。
　　“So？“saidClayton，repeating。
　　“So，“saidSanderson，andtookhispipeinhandagain。
　　“Ah，NOW，“saidClayton，“Icandothewholething——right。“
　　Hestoodupbeforethewaningfireandsmiledatusall。ButIthinktherewasjustalittlehesitationinhissmile。“IfIbegin——“
　　hesaid。
　　“Iwouldn’tbegin，“saidWish。
　　“It’sallright！“saidEvans。“Matterisindestructible。Youdon’tthinkanyjiggery-pokeryofthissortisgoingtosnatchClaytonintotheworldofshades。Notit！Youmaytry，Clayton，sofarasI’mconcerned，untilyourarmsdropoffatthewrists。“
　　“Idon’tbelievethat，“saidWish，andstoodupandputhisarmonClayton’sshoulder。“You’vemademehalfbelieveinthatstorysomehow，andIdon’twanttoseethethingdone！“
　　“Goodness！“saidI，“here’sWishfrightened！“
　　“Iam，“saidWish，withrealoradmirablyfeignedintensity。“I
　　believethatifhegoesthroughthesemotionsrighthe’llGO。“
　　“He’llnotdoanythingofthesort，“Icried。“There’sonlyonewayoutofthisworldformen，andClaytonisthirtyyearsfromthat。