But though I could shut it out of my waking hours successfully enough, I could not control my sleeping ones, and my dreams became more and more horrible. Always there was the serpent with dripping fangs, sometimes with Armand's head, sometimes with a face unknown to me, but hideous beyond description; its slimy body glittered with inlay and arabesque; its scaly legs were curved like those of the Boule cabinet; sometimes the golden sun glittered on its forehead like a great eye. Over and over again I saw this monster slay its three victims; and always, when that was done, it raised its head and glared at me, as though selecting me for the fourth.... But I shall not try to describe those dreams; even yet I cannot recall them without a shudder. It was while I was sitting moodily in my room one night, debating whether or not to go to bed; weary to exhaustion and yet reluctant to resign myself to a sleep from which I knew I should wake shrieking, that a knock came at the door--a knock I recognised; and I arose joyfully to admit Godfrey. I could see by the way his eyes were shining that he had something unusual to tell me; and then, as he looked at me, his face changed. "What's the matter, Lester?" he demanded. "You're looking fagged out. Working too hard?" "It's not that," I said. "I can't sleep. This thing has upset my nerves, Godfrey. I dream about it--have regular nightmares." He sat down opposite me, concern and anxiety in his face. "That won't do," he protested. "You must go away somewhere--take a rest, and a good long one." "A rest wouldn't do me any good, as long as this mystery is unsolved," I said. "It's only by working that I can keep my mind off of it." "Well," he smiled, "just to oblige you, we will solve it first, then." "Do you mean you know...." "I know who the Great Unknown is, and I'm going to tell you presently. Day after to-morrow--Wednesday--I'll know all the rest. The whole story will be in Thursday morning's paper. Suppose you arrange to start Thursday afternoon." I could only stare at him. He smiled as he met my gaze. "You're looking better already," he said, "as though you were taking a little more interest in life," and he helped himself to a cigar. "Godfrey," I protested, "I wish you would pick out somebody else to practise on. You come up here and explode a bomb just to see how high I'll jump. It's amusing to you, no doubt, and perhaps a little instructive; but my nerves won't stand it." "My dear Lester," he broke in, "that wasn't a bomb; that was a simple statement of fact." "Are you serious?" "Perfectly so." "But how do you know...." "Before I answer any questions, I want to ask you one. Did you, by any chance, mention me to the gentleman known to you as M. Félix Armand?" "Yes," I answered, after a moment's thought; "I believe I did. I was telling him about our trying to find the secret drawer--I mentioned your name--and he asked who you were. I told him you were a genius at solving mysteries."