"Death and forgetting are one," said the Interpreter, "and the memory of dying perisheth like a dream. But some there are to whom Allah hath appointed a station at the place of passage and set as watchmen at the intermingling of the worlds. These pass to and fro over the bridges, gathering tidings from forgotten realms; and much of majesty and worth that escapeth the common sort is apparent unto them. And of such, O Abdulla, thy dreams declare thee to be one." "Hast thou no further interpretation?" asked Abdulla. "Hark!" said the other. "The full interpretation cometh even now." And, as he spoke, the brass knocker sounded on the door. * * * * * _Thus endeth "The Hole in the Water-skin."_ III DR PIECRAFT CLEARS HIS MIND Throughout the whole of this long prelection Dr Phippeny Piecraft had scarcely moved a muscle, listening with ever deeper attention as the story went on. Once only had he interrupted the reader. "You are coming now," he had said, "to the deleted passage about Dual Personality. Don't forget to read it." "Pardon me," said the young man, "I passed that point some minutes since. The writer had pencilled against the passage, '_Omit, spoils the unity_.' So, from respect to his wishes, I left it out." "It was well done," Piecraft had answered. "Unity is all-important. Proceed." And now, the reading being over, the two men sat for several minutes facing one another in silence. Presently the reader said: "Well, have you identified the author?" "I have," said Piecraft. "The tale is a reminiscence of some old speculations of mine. I wrote every word of it myself, and I finished it last night." "How came you to think that it was written by somebody else?" "That is what puzzles me. But I can give a partial explanation. Last night, after finishing the tale, I had a dream, which was extremely vivid, though I find it impossible now to recall the details. I dreamt that I was writing a story under the title of _Dual Personality_--something about a gamekeeper and two young lords who interchanged their characters. It was a sort of nightmare, partly accounted for by the fact that my health, until to-day, has been indifferent. When you came in this morning the influence of the dream lingered in sufficient strength to make me think I had actually written the story dreamed about, and not the one you have just read out. It was an illusion." "Illusion is an integral part of reality," said the young man. "Is that an original remark?" asked Piecraft. "Somehow I seem to remember having heard it before." "It is a quotation," answered the other. "I am in the habit of using it for the enlightenment of new-comers." "New-comers!" exclaimed Piecraft. "My dear fellow, do you know that my brass plate has been on this house for over ten years. It is you who are the new-comer, not I." The young man smiled. "It has been on this house much longer than that, but you are a new-comer all the same," said he.