"I damn think that you hit the thumb upon the nail that time, my friend," the little Frenchman nodded, "though you do not realize how accurate your diagnosis is." To Ned: "Have you seen this snake again since coming North?" "Yes," Ned replied. "I have. I was too stunned to speak when I read the epitaph, and I wandered back to the hotel in a sort of daze and packed my bags in silence. Possibly that's why there was no further visitation there. I don't know. I do know nothing further happened, though, and when several months had passed with nothing but my memories to remind me of the incident, I began to think I'd suffered from some sort of walking nightmare. Nella and I went ahead with preparations for our wedding, but three weeks ago the postman brought me this----" He reached into an inner pocket and drew out an envelope. It was of soft gray paper, edged with silver-gilt, and the address was in tiny, almost unreadable script: M. Édouard Minton, 30 Rue Carteret 30, Harrisonville, N. J. "U'm?" de Grandin commented as he inspected it. "It is addressed à la française. And the letter, may one read it?" "Of course," Ned answered. "I'd like you to." Across de Grandin's shoulder I made out the hastily-scrawled missive: _Adoré_ _Remember your promise and the kiss of blood that sealed it. Soon I shall call and you must come._ _Pour le temps et pour l'éternité_, JULIE. "You recognize the writing?" de Grandin asked. "It is----" "Oh, yes," Ned answered bitterly, "I recognize it; it's the same the other note was written in." "And then?" The boy smiled bleakly. "I crushed the thing into a ball and threw it on the floor and stamped on it. Swore I'd die before I'd keep another rendezvous with her, and----" He broke off, and put trembling hands up to his face. "The so mysterious serpent came again, one may assume?" de Grandin prompted. "But it's only a phantom snake," I interjected. "At worst it's nothing more than a terrifying vision----" "Think so?" Ned broke in. "D'ye remember Rowdy, my airedale terrier?" I nodded. "He was in the room when I opened this letter, and when the cottonmouth appeared beside me on the floor he made a dash for it. Whether it would have struck me I don't know, but it struck at him as he leaped and caught him squarely in the throat. He thrashed and fought, and the thing held on with locked jaws till I grabbed a fire-shovel and made for it; then, before I could strike, it vanished.