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 clammily adhering to his brow and beads of perspiration trickling slowly down his nose.

“And when you wreturn, you see and you hear—stwrange things, Mr. Soames?”

Soames, who was in imminent danger of becoming physically ill, gulped noisily.

“No, sir,” he whispered,—tremulously, “I’ve been—in here all the time.”

Ho-Pin nodded, slowly and sympathetically, but never removed the glittering eyes from the face of the man on the bed.

“So you hear nothing, and see nothing?”

The words were spoken even more softly than he had spoken hitherto.

“Nothing,” protested Soames. He suddenly began to tremble anew, and his trembling rattled the bed. “I have been—very ill indeed, sir.”

Ho-Pin nodded again slowly, and with deep sympathy.

“Some medicine shall be sent to you, Mr. Soames,” he said.

He turned and went out slowly, closing the door behind him.