By Jove! The angel! And before I knew what I was doing or thought about the frump, I had stretched out a hand to her, looking her straight in the eye and smiling. She hesitated an instant only, then laughed, and I felt her little fingers just brush my palm--but it was enough. She flushed a little shyly and addressed the frump. "Are we going to keep Mr. Lightnut standing like this all day?" she asked. "Half on earth and half in heaven--like what's-his-name's coffin," I suggested. Devilish good, that, don't you think? _She_ thought so, for she opened the door herself as the frump turned, murmuring some silly thing about China and the open door to America. What did China have to do with it? And it was just then that Jenkins bolted wildly from the building. "Mr. Lightnut--quick, sir! Mr. Billings, sir!" I thought of the telephone right off, but he just caught my arm. First time ever knew Jenkins to take a liberty. "Come quick, sir!" he exclaimed. "He's up-stairs and, oh, off his nut, sir--_awful_!" "By Jove!" I gasped. "Excuse me--will see--come right back and tell you--I feared this last night." And I rushed to the elevator with Jenkins. "He's in them black pajamas he was talking about," said Jenkins gloomily, "and he's run the perfesser off. Leastwise, he ain't there, and his man can't get Mr. Billings to go. He came down for me, but I couldn't do a thing with him, either." I knew--I understood. It was the dwelling of his mind upon the rubies! He had gone back in the night for them--in his sleep, for all I knew. But I thought most likely awake, for recent experience with him showed me that he didn't think anything of wandering around the neighborhood in his pajamas. The janitor's pale face met us at the landing. "I've sent for the police, sir, and it would be a good idea, don't you think, if you could get him away before they come. I don't want to get Mr. Billings into no trouble." "Good idea," I agreed. "We'll just rush him to the car--but, h'm!" I suddenly remembered he was in pajamas. It might be all right to Billings to wander around in public streets and vehicles in his night things, but it certainly wouldn't do under the present circumstances. _He_ might not care, but then, there were the feelings of the girls to consider. And besides, dash it, I had some sort of idea it was against the law. I stood there in the corridor, puzzling. "We must get his clothes," I said to Jenkins. "No, wait, _wait_--not time! I want to get him away before the police get here. Um--dressing-robe--bathrobe--can't you get something of that sort--quick?" Jenkins shook his head distractedly. "Thought of that, sir--no use--nothing anywhere around here would half-way meet on Mr. Billings." Here the professor's man interposed. "Please hurry, sir; he's going through the professor's papers and things!" I dashed for the apartment, shouting to Jenkins to get a bundle of rugs and blankets to the car.