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112 Crosswell himself. His face was flushed, his hat on the back of his head, and his clothes awry and dishevelled.

"So," he shouted, "she is here, and with the wonderful doctor who is such a friend of her family."

He swayed as he spoke, and clutched a chair.

"You infernal blackguard! Calling yourself a friend under the cloak of pill-mixing! I'll horse-whip you till you can't stand," he shouted. I made no reply to him, but seeing that the lady could now leave, I said to her: "Kindly wait in the hall, Mrs. Crosswell, while I have a word or two with—your husband."

"She'll do nothing of the kind," he said. "Stay here, Louise."

I opened the door and showed his wife out. Her husband started to intercept me, but tripped and fell headlong at his first step.

He picked himself up, however, and made a rush at me.

You know me, Lawrence; I am not a child, and when he got near me I just quietly sat him on a sofa with one of the simple little tricks of the wily Jap.

"Now, sir," I said. "you shall explain