"May I behold the patient?" demanded the stranger, and an inexpressible glance flashed from his brilliant eyes. What made me tremble at this natural request? for such it might have been deemed, since every medical man has free liberty to inquire into the symptoms of the case before he prescribes. Fixedly did his eyes rest on mine; they seemed as if turned to stone, for they moved not in the slightest degree. "I will _describe_ my mother's case to you, sir," I said, evasively. He made me no answer; but, casting down his eyes, he calmly resumed his reading, and I walked up and down the spacious apartment, in which there were not above a dozen other persons, in a state of mind resembling a chaos, occasionally glancing with angry eyes at the reading stranger, who seemed perfectly composed, and unconscious of my presence. "What a fool am I!" said I, mentally; "what _harm_ can this man do my dying mother? but, then, _she_ may see him--this being that resembles a demi-god--and _she_ too of so peculiar a mind, so enamoured of all that is great and wonderful; so romantic, too! Wretch that I am! is my beloved mother's life to be sacrificed--at least the chance of saving her--to a wild and jealous fantasy? No!" and I walked up again to the table. The stranger was rising as I approached him, had closed his book, and returned it to the librarian. He would have passed me, but I laid my hand upon his arm. "Most extraordinary being!" said I, "_come_, I conjure you, and save my mother!" He entered my carriage without saying a word, and silently followed me to the apartment of my languishing parent, who was dozing in a sort of lethargic stupor, that appeared to be the precursor of death. My two sisters stood gazing on her pale features, and---- was holding her thin white hand in one of hers, and bathing it with her tears. The stranger took my mother's hand from hers, and--I cannot be mistaken, for I watched every movement--some strong agitation, some convulsive spasm, passed over his countenance as he looked upon that face which never had its equal yet on earth; but, whatever was his emotion, he soon mastered it, and desired that a silver plate and lamp might be brought to him. From a small crystal box the stranger took out a brown preparation, and, breaking it in two, placed them on the silver plate; then with a slip of paper lighted from the lamp he ignited the substance so placed, which sent up a pale blue flame, and a most intoxicating odour. He desired that my mother should be raised in bed, even to a sitting posture, when he placed the blazing plate immediately beneath her nostrils, and some portion of the actual flame entered and curled about her face. My sisters shrieked, but ---- spake not a word, and I waited the result with agonised impatience. "She revives! she revives!" exclaimed the latter, "and my blessed aunt will live!"