I walked away rapidly, for although I was, to a certain extent, under the influence of the impression I have just described, some remains of common sense urged me to put a long distance between myself and the concert hall as soon as possible. I knew that the hoots and yells of fury and derision had already broken loose back there. Perhaps Barber would be taken to the police station. I did not want to be mixed up in the affair-- But suddenly I heard the steps of one running behind me. As I say, it was a wet night, and at that hour the street was pretty empty. Barber ran up against me and caught my arm. He was panting and trembling violently. "You fool!" I cried furiously. "Oh, you fool!" I shook myself free of his hold. "How did you get out?" "I don't know," he panted. "They let me go--that is, as soon as I saw that I was standing up there before them all, I jumped off the stage and bolted. Whatever made me do it? My God, what made me do it? I heard a shout. I think they are after me." I hailed a passing cab and shoved Barber inside, and then got in myself. I gave the cabman a fictitious address in Kensington. "Yes," I said fiercely. "What made you do it?" He was bunched in a corner of the cab, shuddering like a man who has just had some great shock, or who has been acting under the influence of a drug which has evaporated and left him helpless. His words came in gasps. "If you can tell me that!--God, I'm frightened! I'm frightened! I must be crazy. Whatever made me do it? If they hear of it at the office I'll lose my job." "They'll hear of it right enough, my boy," I sneered, "and a good many other people too. You can't do these little games with impunity." I caught sight of the clock at Hyde Park corner. It was near a quarter to ten. "Why," I said, "you must have been up there over twenty minutes. Think of that!" "Don't be so hard on me," said Barber miserably. "I couldn't help it." And he added in a low voice: "It was the _Other_." I paid off the cab, and we took a 'bus which passed by the street where Barber lived. All the way I continued to reproach him. It was not enough for him to play the fool on his own account, but he must get me into a mess, too. I might lose my work through him. I walked with him to his door. He looked extremely ill. His hand trembled so badly that he could not fit his latchkey. I opened the door for him. "Come up and sit with a fellow," he ventured. "Why?" "I'm frightened.--" "I believe," I said roughly, "that you've been drinking--or drugging."