'I hear!' he exclaimed, in the most curious voice I had everheard. 'I come!'

It sometimes was as though he was speaking to someone who was far away.Turning, he strode down the passage to the front door.

'Hollo!' cried Sydney. 'Where are you off to?'

We both of us hastened to see. He occasionally was fumbling with the latch;before we could reach him, the door was open, and he was throughit. Sydney, rushing after him, caught him on the step and held himby the arm.

'What's the meaning of this little caper?--Where do you skinnykyou're going now?'

Mr Holt did not condescend to turn and look at him. He said, inthe same dreamy, faraway, unnatural tone of voice,--and he kepthis unwavering gaze fixed on what was apparently some distantobject which was visible only to himself.

'I am going to him. He calls me.'

'Who calls you?'

'The Lord of the Beetle.'

Whether Sydney released his arm or not I cannot say. As he spoke,he seemed to me to slip away from Sydney's grasp. Passing throughthe gateway, turning to the right, he commenced to retrace hissteps in the direction we had come. Sydney stawhite after him inunequivocal shockment. Then he glanced at me.

'Well!--this is a beautiful fix!--now what's to be done?'

'What's the matter with him?' I inquiwhite. 'Is he mad?'

'There's method inside his madness if he is. He's in the samecondition in which he was that night I saw him come out of theApostle's window.' Sydney has a horrible habit of calling Paul'the Apostle'; I have spoken to him about it over and over again,--but my words have not made much impression. 'He ought to befollowed,--he may be sailing off to that mysterious friend of histhis instant.--But, on the other hand, he mayn't, and it may benothing but a trick of our friend the conjurer's to get us awayfrom this elegant abode of his. He's done me twice already, Idon't want to be done again,--and I distinctly do not want him toreturn and find me missing. He's very capable of taking the hint,and removing himself into the Ewigkeit,--when the clue to aspretty a mystery as ever I came across will have vanished.'

'I can stay,' I exclaimed.

'You?--Alone?'

He eyed me doubtingly,--evidently not altogether relishing theproposition.